Fire & Moonlight
by Raberba girl
Summary: Axel & Saïx have been best friends since childhood, and nothing can truly break that bond. Platonic AkuSai; sometimes AU. New story: Sometimes Lea despairs of ever truly getting his friend back. Even after Xehanort's death, Isa remains trapped in his Dive to the Heart, unable to perceive the real world.
1. Fell From The Sky (theme 1)

Fire & Moonlight

Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

Summary: For Wishing-Fire's 101 Theme Challenge, focused on Axel & Saïx / AkuSai in a non-romantic context. No direct Lea or Isa; includes some AUs.

Introduction: Playing _Birth by Sleep_, writing _Christmas at the Castle_ and then reading volume 3 of the 358/2 Days manga made me fall in love with AkuSai as a platonic pairing. (I had also started out disliking Saïx, but then Isa won me over in BBS, and the Christmas/manga experience turned me into a true Saïx fan.) Not only has AkuSai persuaded me to change my FFN avatar after featuring Gundam Wing's Quatre Raberba Winner for over ten years, but it's also finally inspired me to attempt my first drabble challenge EVER. I'd written a couple of drabbles ages ago (one for Kyou from Fruits Basket, and a Kyouya/Sally crossover between Ouran and Gundam Wing), but they were so short and substanceless that I ended up deleting them. However, I hope that a series of at least vaguely connected drabbles will be different, especially since 600 words is an unusually high limit.

I'd recently considered trying a challenge for Ienzo/Zexion, but none of the ones I found seemed to suit my ideas for that fic, so I finally gave up on trying it in drabble form. Now, however...I love AkuSai, and I want to explore that relationship - much as I love Lea & Isa, it's really their Nobodies and adult selves who have captured more of my attention. It'd be nice to try out bits of fluff without having to construct solid fics around them. A roomy drabble challenge seems to be the perfect solution. 101 is still quite a lot of themes, but let's see if I can accomplish it.

*Edit, 4 September 2012* Um, this series kind of turned into a mess...please bear with me, I'll try to clean up the drafts and cut them down properly into 600 words or less as soon as I can. *sweatdrop*

**1. Fell From The Sky [challenge version]**

Summary: Wherever these mysterious gifts are coming from, they certainly did not fall from the sky.

A/N: School AU where Saïx is the same age as in canon and Xemnas is the school principal or something, but the rest of the Org are all fourteen or fifteen.

o.o.o

"CUT the chatter - class started four seconds ago, and I only see two pencils moving. Finish your warm-up before you lose today's participation-" Saïx broke off, staring at the stuffed toy dog that had certainly not been on his desk at the end of last period. "Where did that come from?"

The kids giggled, causing Saïx to close his eyes in knowing exasperation.

"Maybe it fell from the sky," Demyx suggested mischievously.

"You prob'ly had it there the whole time and just forgot," Xigbar drawled.

Saïx tossed the dog into the Lost And Found bin. "If you've got time to waste on jokes, you've got time to do your assignment, so GET TO WORK." He whirled and started scrawling essay topics on the board. "Your homework was to brainstorm writing themes. Today, we're diving into-" There was a commotion behind him. Saïx turned to find twelve seated students wearing expressions of anticipation. "What are you all up to?"

Then he saw the bag of candy on his desk. "WHAT is going on here?"

"Nothing!"

"Whatcha talkin' about, Prof?"

By the end of class, Saïx had mysteriously acquired a banana pie, a Grand Canyon key chain, a copy of Diana Wynne Jones's _Dogsbody_, a pack of playing cards, a bouquet of irises, and a chew toy. He was relieved to finally enjoy some quiet time during his conference.

"Hiya, Prof!" Axel barged in and set down a tray of cafeteria food.

"...Axel? Why are you _here_?"

"Eh! Did you forget our lunch detention? How _could_ you?" Axel gasped, as if it was a date. "I even fed my homework to my dog the other night, just so I could earn an l.d. and see you alone today!"

Saïx hoped he was joking. With Axel, it was hard to tell. "Cut it out, I'm just surprised I don't have to write you up for being a no-show like usual. Take your tray over to that corner."

"Nah, I wanted to eat with _you_." Axel handed over a set of blue earrings shaped like puppies. "Ta-da! Class ended too fast, I never got my turn."

Saïx stared.

"And here's your cake!" Axel pulled a large banana-blueberry muffin out of his bag. "Hang on, the candle's in here somewhere..." He produced one shaped like the number 7. "There!"

Saïx glanced at the pile of mysterious items. "Those were...?"

"Happy birthday to yooooouuuu! Happy birthday to-"

"Are you INSANE?" Saïx snatched away the lighter. "Didn't they say you'd be _expelled_ next time you brought a lighter to school?"

"Yeah, but you won't tell on me, right? You can keep the lighter, by the way. After all, I only brought it for your sake." He winked.

"Don't think you'll get away with that," Saïx snapped, shoving the lighter in his desk drawer. "How did you even know my birthday?"

"Dug through the principal's office 'til I found your employee records."

"...Right."

"You remember when Roxas picked a fight with Seifer?" Axel asked mischievously.

Saïx's eyes widened. "You persuaded your best friend to get himself _suspended_ just to cause enough of a distraction for you to-" Saïx stopped before his brain could explode. "Are you _trying_ to get me fired?"

"No way! I like you. And your candle's melting all over your cake, maybe you should blow it out."

"...It's a muffin." Saïx snuffed out the flame between his fingers.

"Awesome. Happy twenty-fifth, Sai. Can I call you Sai?"

"No."

"Can I have some of your cake?"

"You are in _detention_."

"At least try on the earrings!"

"NO!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I had an "Oh my gosh, Saïx is a teacher!" epiphany while writing chapter 8 of _Christmas at the Castle_. **FTR, if you are still in school, please don't do any of this to your teachers, even if you're trying to be nice... DX**

The original word count for this was almost 1,900. Needless to say, I had to cut out a LOT. ^^; I'd like to make the full version of this and the rest of the drabbles available, I'm just not sure how yet; I'm waiting for a reply from the challenge creator.

I took some liberties, one of which: In the schools I've seen, lunch detention with one's own teacher tends to be something that special education students do; regular ed students usually have lunch detention all together in a spare classroom or something.

This theme was actually a lot harder than I expected it to be, and I failed at several ideas before finally settling on the school AU. Also, I wrote Themes 2 & 3 before figuring out how to do this one. ^^;

Complete: 1/101. Next: "Butterflies"

**1. Fell From The Sky**

Summary: Wherever these mysterious gifts are coming from, they certainly did not fall from the sky.

A/N: AU where Saïx is the same age as in canon and Xemnas is the school principal or something, but the rest of the Org are all fourteen or fifteen.

o.o.o

Why did adolescents have to be so _loud_? Relieved that the noisemakers were all now shut in their classrooms rather than ravaging the hallways, Saïx swung the door closed as soon as the tardy bell rang and marched up to face his own students, a pack of the most arrogant, troublemaking freshmen he'd ever worked with.

"CUT the chatter, class started four seconds ago and I only see two pencils moving. Get your warm-up copied down before you lose today's participation gra-" He broke off, staring at the chew toy on his desk that had certainly not been there at the end of last period. "Where did _that_ come from?"

There was a burst of giggling from the class at large, causing Saïx to close his eyes in knowing exasperation.

"Maybe it fell from the sky," Demyx suggested mischievously.

"You prob'ly had it there the whole time and just forgot," Xigbar drawled.

"I don't think so." Saïx picked up the blue rubber object and held it over the trash can. "Whoever owns this has ten seconds to claim it. Ten. Nine-"

"NO, NO, NO!"

"Don't throw it awaaaayyyy!"

"Give it to me, give it to me!"

Saïx tossed the toy at Xion, who caught it and then exchanged an explosion of giggles with her boyfriend, Roxas. Saïx had split up the two of them and their mutual best friend Axel on opposite sides of the room, and yet they STILL managed to interact as if they could read each other's minds.

"Now, who's got the warm-up answer?" he demanded.

"Man, we just GOT here!" someone complained. "How're we supposed to answer-?"

"If you've got time to waste on chit-chat, then you've got time to do your warm-up, now GET TO WORK," Saïx thundered. He whirled and started scrawling essay topics on the board next to the projector screen. "Since you were supposed to brainstorm writing themes last night for homework, today we are going to dive right into outlining and possibly starting your drafts-" There was a commotion behind him. Saïx turned quickly, only to find twelve students sitting primly in their desks with almost identical expressions of suppressed anticipation. "What are you all up to-?"

That's when he saw the porn magazines piled neatly on his desk, tied together with a blue ribbon. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

"They're for you, professor," Larxene said with wide-eyed sweetness. "We thought they'd cheer you up, since you're always going around with that stick up your-"

"DETENTION," Saïx stormed, throwing the magazines in the trash out of pure reflex. He should probably report them to the front office, but the life-wrecking _trouble_ he could get into if anyone insinuated the magazines actually belonged to him... "Be thankful I'm not writing you up."

"Thank you, oh, thank you, sir," Larxene squeaked in a voice straight out of hentai anime, which set off the rest of the class again.

"OUT. Get _out_, I'll speak to you in a minute." He had expected her to put up more of a fuss, but Larxene readily flounced out the door, though not without a parting wink to one of her friends.

Ugh, 10:30 a.m. and today was already going downhill... "Everyone else, turn in your assignments. We're not going over them, which means some of you have just earned yourself zeroes." There was a rustle of paper as he went around turning off the projector and retracting the screen and kicking the porn-filled trash can around behind his desk so as to make it less noticeable. "Now," he instructed as he picked up the stack of warm-ups Lexaeus handed him, "get our your homework, I'm going to have each of you tell us what you picked-"

Another smattering of giggling alerted him. Saïx turned sharply, but missed whatever it was. They were all staring at him with gleaming eyes again, until he finally saw the small stuffed dog sitting on his computer keyboard. _'This is ridiculous.'_ Saïx marched over, seized the toy, and tossed it in the Lost And Found bin. "Zexion," he barked, since the small, quiet boy was one of the better behaved ones, "what did you come up with for homework?"

Zexion dutifully rose to his feet and said, "An analysis of Houyhnhnm culture in Jonathan Swift's _Gulliver's Travels_ as compared to the way culture is presented in Oscar Wilde's _The Importance of Being Earnest_."

"_Thank you_ for being competent. Zexion, please collect topics from everyone else until I get back and we can discuss them."

"Yes, sir."

Saïx opened the door, only to find Larxene chewing on gum as she shamelessly texted someone on her cell phone. "Mine."

"Aw, come _on_-"

"NOW."

Knowing better than to argue with that tone, Larxene sulkily handed over her phone, then stuck her tongue out. "Love you, Teach," she said quickly in response to his expression.

Saïx let out a frustrated breath. "Larxene, listen to me. That stunt you pulled earlier..."

By the end of the lecture, she seemed quiet and serious and properly impressed, yet he still had the feeling she was mentally laughing at him. But as long as she didn't show it...and there _was_ the Class From Hell he had left to their own devices for far, far too long...

"All right, I'm glad you seem to understand. Now get back in there and do your best, all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said glibly, patting him rather inappropriately as she sailed back inside.

Saïx sighed, trying to gather himself, then entered the classroom as well. "All right, so what have we come up with-" He came to an abrupt halt, causing the kids to burst into laughter.

"What seems to be the trouble, sir?" Zexion asked, all innocence, which gave Saïx a sudden suspicion that he was in on it, too (whatever "it" was).

"Zexion," Saïx ground out, "are you going to look me in the eye and tell me that you _weren't_ aware of that bottle magically appearing on my desk behind you?"

Zexion frowned artfully, turned, and gave a theatrical gasp of surprise. "My goodness, however did that get there?"

"SIT DOWN!" Saïx roared.

"Sir," Luxord called out merrily, "don't get Zex in trouble, the wine is from me. To you, by the way."

Happily, this classroom had been a science lab before the new wing was built, so Saïx was able to snatch up the bottle, march over to one of the sinks, and dump its alcoholic contents down the drain. "Detention for you as well, Luxord," he snapped. "AND you, Zexion. I would have expected better from you." He was being much too lenient with these monsters, but punishing them as they deserved could backfire far too easily. Were they _trying_ to send him to prison?

"Now, if you all are _quite_ finished-" They weren't. Though at least the party-sized bag of candy now sitting on his desk was infinitely preferable to the let's-send-Mr.-Tsukino-to-jail items. "That is ENOUGH. All of you, dictionaries out, copy down the first hundred definitions, whatever you don't finish in class today is homework." This did not prevent Saïx from ending the period with a banana pie, a pocketknife, a blank flash drive, a Grand Canyon key chain, a copy of Diana Wynne Jones's _Dogsbody_, a small bouquet of irises, the mysteriously-returned chew toy, and a total of twelve detention slips in his possession.

Saïx was usually a responsible employee, but he just could not deal with hall duty right now. He sat at his desk with his head in his hands, letting the quiet of the empty classroom settle soothingly over him, the noise from the rabble of students in the corridors heavily muffled by the closed door.

He sat like that until several minutes after the bell had rung and silence descended without as well as within. Just when he remembered that he had a lunch detention today and was reaching for a referral form in anticipation of the usual no-show, the door suddenly banged, startling him.

"Hiya, Prof!"

Saïx stared in astonishment as Axel barged in, set a tray of cafeteria food down on one of the front desks, then started rooting around in his book bag. "...Axel?"

"You got the sign-in sheet?" Axel asked nonchalantly.

"Um, yes." Saïx looked around for it, a little helplessly. "Why are you _here_?"

"Eh! Did you forget our lunch detention? How _could_ you?" Axel gasped, as if it was a date instead of a punishment. "And I went to all the trouble of feeding my homework to my dog last night, too, just so I could see you alone today!"

Saïx desperately hoped that he was joking. You couldn't always tell with Axel. "Cut it out, I'm just surprised I didn't have to hunt you down or write you up like I usually do. Here's a pen. Sign in and then take your tray over to that corner."

"Nah, I wanted to eat with _you_." Axel found what he was looking for and then set it on the desk in front of his teacher. "Ta-da! Class ended too fast, everyone else got a turn except me."

Saïx stared at the set of earrings shaped like blue puppies.

"And here's your cake!" Axel unwrapped a large banana-blueberry muffin and placed it ceremoniously next to the earrings. "I know it's lame, but I didn't want something that would've gotten all squashed like Xig's pie did. Hang on a sec, I know I've got the candle in here somewhere..." Axel dug out a candle shaped like the number 7 and stuck it into the muffin. "There!"

Saïx's horrified gaze moved back to the pile of confiscated items. "Those...those were..._birthday presents_?"

"Happy birthday to yooooouuuu," Axel sang obnoxiously. "Happy birthday to-"

Saïx whipped his head back around at the smell that was filling the room. "Are you INSANE?" he shouted, snatching the lighter out of Axel's hand. "Didn't they say you'd be _expelled_ the next time you brought a lighter to school?"

"Yeah, but I know you won't tell on me, will you?" Axel said with a charming smile. "You can keep that if you want, by the way. After all, I only brought it - and risked my entire future - for you." He winked.

"Don't think you'll be able to get away with that," Saïx snapped, burying the lighter deep in his desk drawer. "How did you brats even know it was my birthday, anyway?"

Axel shrugged. "Dug through the principal's file cabinet 'til I found your employee records."

"Uh huh."

"You remember when Roxas picked a fight with Seifer?" Axel asked mischievously.

It took a moment for Saïx to get it. Then his eyes widened. "You persuaded your best friend to get himself _suspended_ just to cause enough of a distraction for you to go rooting through administrative offices so that-" Saïx stopped before his brain could explode. "You kids really are set on killing me, aren't you."

"Of course not! We _like_ you. Well, I like you, anyway; and everyone else likes me, so they all do what I want. And your candle's melting all over your cake, so maybe you should blow it out."

"...It's a muffin." Saïx snuffed out the candle flame between his fingers.

"Awesome. Happy twenty-fifth, Sai. Can I call you Sai?"

"No."

"Can I have some of your cake?"

"Axel, you are in _detention_."

"At least let me see how the earrings look on you!"

"NO!"

o.o.o

A/N: FTR, if you are still in school, please don't do any of this to your teachers, ANY of it, even if you're trying to be nice... DX

I took some liberties. In the schools I've seen, lunch detention with one's own teacher tends to be something that's only done with special education students; regular ed students usually do it all together in an empty classroom or something. And seems like all the schools have whiteboards instead of chalkboards now, but that is lame. Chalk FTW! And class sizes have been swelling, but I still see some classes with only 12-15 students. They're usually special ed, though. Maybe the Org's a special ed class after all. :p

And again, none of these drabbles are intended to be romantic.

This theme was actually a lot harder than I expected it to be, and I failed at several ideas before finally settling on the school AU. Also, I wrote Themes 2 & 3 before figuring out how to do this one. ^^;

Complete: 1/101. Next: "Butterflies"


	2. Butterflies (theme 2)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**2. Butterflies**

Summary: Saïx needs a better nickname. On second thought, the old one was preferable.

**A/N: **_**Christmas at the Castle**_** universe, ****SPOILERS**** for that fic.** Also, this takes place in the evening, and Christmas has already passed.

o.o.o

For goodness' sake, Axel had taken penmanship lessons just like everyone else in the Radiant Garden public school system. He had absolutely no excuse for this chicken scratch.

Saïx snapped upright upon realizing that he had been hunched over, squinting at the page from only a few inches away. Gripping the report tightly, he marched out of his room and headed directly for the eighth portal. "Axel!"

The room was empty. Saïx let out a quiet sigh, then moved on to the thirteenth portal.

Nothing. Which was odd. Usually, that trio could be found in either Axel's room or Roxas's, so where would they possibly...?

A more systematic search ended with a suggestion from Luxord. "You might try your luck with our Graceful Assassin."

"What business could Axel possibly have with Marluxia?"

"Not Marluxia. Rather, a certain other resident of that room, hmm?"

"...Oh." Saïx plodded back to the Proof of Existence and entered Marluxia's chamber. The place was about 30% bedroom and 70% greenhouse, complete with cloying humidity and several butterflies cavorting through the air. Sure enough, four Organization members were gathered around a drooping pink plant by the window.

"Do you feel better now, Maruhana?" the replica was asking anxiously.

"No."

Marluxia's tone was stern. "Stop pouting, we know it still hurts. There's no instant remedy. Does the problem remain, or will you be able to recover under current conditions?"

The sentient plant stirred restlessly.

"You're talking too human. You have to talk flower," Roxas said.

"Hana," Axel tried, "you're in a bigger pot now. I know your roots are sore, but you have room to grow out now, right?"

"Yes," the flower said sulkily.

"You'll be all right, Maruhana," the replica said soothingly, stroking one of its petals.

Saïx cleared his throat loudly to gain their attention. "Axel."

"Well, if it isn't the Luna Diviner! Come to pay your respects at our dear friend's sickbed?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We need to discuss your last mission report."

"Yay," Axel groaned. Excuse me while I leap for joy."

Maruhana was staring at Saïx. "It's Aphid Nymph."

"Maruhana, that's not a nice thing to call someone," Xion said reproachfully. "His name is Saïx. Sigh-axe. Can you say that?"

"No."

"How about 'Werewolf,' can you say that?" Axel asked, earning a glare from the berserker.

Just then, one of the butterflies, the patterns on its wings as bright as rubies, came to land directly on the bridge of Saïx's nose. He reached to brush it away, until Marluxia thundered, "DON'T. It will fly away on its own."

The insect leisurely flicked its wings open and closed again. Saïx heard the replica's stifled giggle, and realized how ridiculous he must look. Shaking his head to dislodge the creature would look even more ridiculous, so he raised his hand again to crush it, but Axel caught his arm, leaning forward to blow out a gentle breath.

The butterfly, startled by the sudden wind, quickly took to the air again and danced in agitated circles around Marluxia's head.

_'What just happened?'_ Saïx thought helplessly. This kind of thing never seemed to happen to him except when Axel was around.

"That was funny," Roxas laughed.

"No, it wasn't," Xion said quickly, noticing Saïx's ominous expression.

"I will not call him Aphid Nymph anymore," Maruhana decided. "Unless I am mad at him."

"Oh?" Axel asked conversationally, though Saïx did not miss the gleeful note hidden in his tone. "What's your name for Saïx, then?"

"I will call him Butterfly, because there is one on his face," Maruhana declared.

Roxas laughed again, the little wretch.

"There's not a butterfly on his face anymore, Maruhana," Xion said quickly.

"Yes, there is."

Axel tapped the scars a couple of times before Saïx knocked his hand away. "I see exactly what you mean, Hana!"

"Axel, your mission tomorrow is in Atlantica," Saïx snarled, then stalked out of the room without a backward glance.

o.o.o

A/N: I imagine that Axel would loathe Atlantica, considering what his element is. ;)

This was the only one where I lost the original draft. I'll eventually try to reconstruct it as well as I can from memory, and post it later.

Complete: 2/101. Next: "In The Sky"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**2. Butterflies [challenge version]**

Summary: Saïx needs a better nickname. On second thought, the old one was preferable.

A/N: _**Christmas at the Castle**_** universe, ****SPOILERS**** for that fic.** Also, this takes place in the evening, and Christmas has already passed.

o.o.o

For goodness' sake, Axel had learned penmanship just like everyone else in the Radiant Garden public school system. He had absolutely no excuse for this chicken scratch.

Saïx snapped upright upon realizing that he had been hunched over, squinting at the page from only a few inches away. Gripping the report tightly, he marched out of his room and headed for the eighth portal. "Axel!"

The room was empty. Saïx let out a quiet sigh, then moved on to the thirteenth portal.

Nothing. Which was odd. Usually that trio could be found in either Axel's room or Roxas's, so where would they possibly...?

His search ended with a suggestion from Luxord. "You might try your luck with our Graceful Assassin."

"What business could Axel possibly have with Marluxia?"

"Not Marluxia. Rather, a certain other resident of that room, hmm?"

"...Oh." Saïx returned to the Proof of Existence and entered Marluxia's chamber. The place was about 30% bedroom and 70% greenhouse, complete with cloying humidity and several butterflies cavorting through the air. Sure enough, four Organization members were gathered around a drooping pink plant by the window.

"Do you feel better now, Maruhana?" the replica was asking anxiously.

"No."

Marluxia's tone was stern. "Stop pouting, we know it still hurts. There's no instant remedy. Does the problem remain, or will you be able to recover under current conditions?"

The sentient plant stirred restlessly.

"You're talking too human. You have to talk flower," Roxas said.

"Hana," Axel tried, "you're in a bigger pot now. I know your roots are sore, but you have room to grow out now, right?"

"Yes," the flower said sulkily.

Saïx cleared his throat.

"Well, if it isn't the Luna Diviner! Come to pay your respects at our dear friend's sickbed?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We need to discuss your last mission report."

"Yay. Excuse me while I leap for joy."

Maruhana was staring at Saïx. "It's Aphid Nymph."

"Maruhana, that's not nice," Xion said. "His name is Saïx. Sigh-axe. Can you say that?"

"No."

"How about 'Werewolf,' can you say that?" Axel asked, earning a glare from the berserker.

Just then, one of the butterflies, the patterns on its wings as bright as rubies, came to land directly on the bridge of Saïx's nose. He reached to brush it away, until Marluxia thundered, "DON'T. It will fly away on its own."

The insect leisurely flicked its wings open and closed again. Saïx heard the replica's stifled giggle, and realized how ridiculous he must look. Shaking his head to dislodge the creature would look even more ridiculous, so he raised his hand again to crush it, but Axel caught his arm, leaning forward to blow out a gentle breath.

The butterfly, startled by the sudden wind, quickly took to the air again and danced in agitated circles around Marluxia's head.

"That was funny," Roxas laughed.

"No, it wasn't," Xion gasped, noticing Saïx's expression.

"I will not call him Aphid Nymph anymore," Maruhana decided. "Unless I am mad at him."

"Oh?" Axel asked conversationally, though Saïx did not miss the gleeful note hidden in his tone. "What's your name for Saïx, then?"

"I will call him Butterfly, because there is one on his face," Maruhana declared.

Roxas laughed again, the little wretch.

"There's not a butterfly on his face anymore, Maruhana," Xion said quickly.

"Yes, there is."

Axel tapped the scars a couple of times before Saïx knocked his hand away. "I see exactly what you mean, Hana!"

"Axel, your mission tomorrow is in Atlantica," Saïx snarled, then stalked out of the room without a backward glance.

o.o.o

A/N: I imagine that Axel would loathe Atlantica, considering what his element is.

And in case I couldn't make it clear enough, the scars on Saïx's face kind of look...a little...like a butterfly's outspread wings. Maruhana thinks so, anyway. ^^;

This is actually the second theme I started writing and the first one I finished. Which is why it's also the only one without a true long version, since it had not occurred to me to save the original draft. *wince*

Complete: 2/101. Next: "In The Sky"


	3. In The Sky (theme 3)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**3. In The Sky**

Summary: Axel must prove that he's not making up stuff on his mission report.

A/N: It was so cool when Axel took Xion to Never Land in Taliax's fic _Whatever You Want To Do_! :) I wanted to try it with Axel & Saïx.

o.o.o

"Number VIII, I will not tolerate falsification of information on mission reports."

Axel, playing a DS game with his head hanging over the edge of his bed, hit the pause button and gave Saïx an incredulous, upside-down look. "Since when have I ever fibbed on a report?! ...Pranks don't count."

Saïx brandished a form. "The claims you make here are outlandish. Do you honestly expect me to believe this pixie dust nonsense?" There was no expression on his face, his tone gave away nothing, Axel could not even read his friend's heart because that heart was long gone. Yet, somehow...he knew anyway.

Axel grinned. "Guess I gotta prove it, then."

That's how Axel ended up in Never Land with his boss, trying to convince a very sparkly tiny person to share the glitter. "Come _on_, Twinkle Toes! Just a little bit! Enough to get my friend's fat butt airborne."

"Axel, compared to you, _everyone's_ fat," Saïx murmured.

"Shut up." Axel summoned a handful of fire. "Last chance, ladybug, before I stop asking nicely-"

"Shame on you, Axel."

Axel glanced at his companion and then nearly fell over in shock. He had not seen that much expression on Saïx's face in _years_.

Practically cooing, Saïx cupped his hands gently around the little pixie, and Axel cautiously released her into his grasp. Saïx offered a charming smile that Axel had last seen directed at Ginny Wade back at Radiant Garden High. "I apologize for my uncouth companion, Madam. Such a high-class person as yourself is not one to be bullied. Perhaps a fair trade would be more suitable."

The glow between Saïx's fingers intensified.

"I doubt you would be interested in anything I have at the moment. Would you like me to owe you a favor?"

Even when she was angry, the pixie's tinkling, bell-like language sounded lovely. Now, in her delight, it would have sent a sweet pang through Axel's heart if he still had one.

"Very well. Call on me when you are in need, and I will repay my debt."

The pixie seemed to drift out of his hands, then suddenly darted away with a triumphant ringing sound, leaving behind a shower of gold dust.

Saïx shook his head like an irritated dog, his expression now one of disgust as he wiped excess dust off his shoulders and tried to flick it off his face.

"What was THAT?" Axel demanded.

"Faster and more efficient than your strategy," Saïx grunted, inspecting his now-shimmering gloves.

"Why don't you do stuff like that more often?! Do you realize how much you creep me out these days, Isa?"

Saïx gave him a cold look. "That is no longer my name."

"But-"

"I await your demonstration."

Axel sighed, wondering if he had read him wrong. After all, who was there to keep acting the part for? "Okay, look. Apparently you need two things to fly here: faith, trust, and pixie dust."

Saïx frowned. "That's three."

"Whatever, faith and trust are the same thing."

"And I've read the book. It's supposed to be happy thoughts."

"Do you even have happy thoughts anymore, ISA?" Axel asked obnoxiously.

"No. Which is another reason your report caught my attention."

Acting-the-part aside, perhaps Axel had guessed right after all. "Yeah, it basically boiled down to 'believing in your heeeeaaart!' or some crap like that."

"And yet you claim that you and Roxas were able to fly."

Axel grinned and backed off the cliff until he was hovering in midair. "Not just an empty claim."

That look on Saïx's face, it was priceless. Astonishment, shock. Fear. Longing. Wonder.

"You gonna join me?" Axel invited aloud.

Saïx took a step. Froze, looked away, face hidden, fists clenched.

Something changed. Axel was not sure what it was, but suddenly he had no more interest in teasing. He moved forward, took his friend's hands. "Sai," he whispered. "Trust me."

Saïx's hands gripped his tightly. No words, no expression. Shifting back, step by soft step, until they both drifted far above the water.

After a long pause, they both moved, silent. Upward, cautiously testing the air currents. It had taken Axel so long to stop looking like a total dork in midair, but Saïx made it seem easy, as if moving among the wind with grace was instinctive for him.

They were up so high now. Axel shivered, trying to summon warmth from his powers, but Saïx merely lay comfortably in the sky as if it was water, gazing up at the stars. Axel would have been tempted to splash him, if there was anything to splash with. So instead he floated around in an arc, moving between Saïx and the stars, giving him another upside-down look. "Pretty cool, huh?" was all he could think to say.

"...Mm." Saïx did not shift to resume his contemplation. His eyes remained on Axel's, and deep within the chill gold, there seemed to flicker a hint of green.

o.o.o

**A/N: Fae in general seem to have a sort of bargaining system involving favors. It's not mentioned in any version of **_**Peter Pan**_** that I know about, but...hey, Tinker Bell's still fey, right?**

Also, the concept of Saïx being a reluctant lady-charmer was something I'd played with in _The Thirteenth Changeling_, so I liked being able to reuse the idea (especially now that my characterization of him has changed significantly because of writing _Christmas at the Castle_).

And in the manga, there's a similar "Trust me" moment when Roxas is teaching Axel how to fly.

**Saïx's eyes are golden, but Isa's were green.**

Complete: 3/101. Next: "Masquerade"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**3. In The Sky [challenge version]**

Summary: Axel must prove that he's not making up stuff on his mission report.

A/N: It was so cool when Axel took Xion to Never Land in Taliax's fic _Whatever You Want To Do_! :) I wanted to try it with Axel & Saïx.

o.o.o

"Number VIII, I will not tolerate falsification of information on mission reports."

Axel, head hanging over the edge of his bed as he played a DS game, hit the pause button and gave Saïx an incredulous, upside-down look. "What are you talking about?"

Saïx brandished a form. "These claims are outlandish. Do you honestly expect me to believe this pixie dust nonsense?" His face and tone held no expression, but it didn't matter. Axel had not forgotten how to read his mind.

"Heh. Guess I gotta prove it, then."

That's how Axel ended up back in Never Land, trying to convince a sparkly tiny person to share the glitter. "Come _on_, Twinkle Toes! Just a little bit!"

The response was an enraged tinkling sound.

Axel summoned a handful of fire. "Last chance, ladybug, before I stop asking nicely-"

"Shame on you, Axel."

Axel nearly fell over in shock. His friend's face had not been that expressive in _years_.

Saïx cupped his hands gently around the pixie, and Axel released her into his grasp. The Diviner offered a charming smile that Axel had last seen directed at Ginny Wade back at Radiant Garden High. "I apologize for my boorish companion, madam. Such a high-class person as yourself is not one to be bullied. Perhaps a fair trade would be more suitable."

The glow between Saïx's fingers intensified.

"I doubt you would be interested in anything I have at the moment. Shall I owe you a favor?"

Even when she was angry, the pixie's tinkling, bell-like language sounded lovely. Now, in her delight, it would have sent a sweet pang through Axel's heart if he still had one.

"Very well. Call on me when you are in need, and I will repay my debt."

Once the pixie had darted away, leaving behind a shower of gold dust, Saïx shook his head like an irritated dog. His expression went blank again as he tried to wipe away the excess.

"What was THAT?" Axel demanded.

"Faster and more efficient than your strategy."

"Why don't you do stuff like that more often?! Do you realize how much you creep me out these days, Isa?"

Saïx gave him a cold look. "That is no longer my name."

"But-"

"I await your demonstration."

Axel sighed. "Okay, look. Apparently, you need two things to fly here: pixie dust, and what basically boils down to 'believing in your heeeeaaart!' or some crap like that."

"And yet you and Roxas were allegedly able to fly."

Axel grinned and backed off the cliff until he was hovering in midair. "Allegedly?"

Saïx's face was priceless. Astonishment, fear. Longing. Wonder.

"You gonna join me?"

Saïx took a step. Then stopped and looked away, fists clenched.

Axel suddenly lost interest in teasing. He took his friend's hands. "Sai. Trust me."

No words, no expression. Shifting back, step by soft step, until they drifted together far above the water.

After a long pause, they both moved upward, cautiously testing the air currents. It had taken Axel so long to stop looking like a total dork in midair, but Saïx made it seem easy, as if moving among the winds with grace was instinctive for him.

They were up so high now, it was freezing. Axel shivered, but Saïx merely lay comfortably in the sky, gazing up at the stars. Axel floated around in an arc, getting in Saïx's way, giving him another upside-down look. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Saïx did not shift to resume his contemplation. His eyes remained on Axel's, and deep within the chill gold, there seemed to flicker a hint of green.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Fae in general seem to have a sort of bargaining system involving favors. It's not mentioned in any version of _Peter Pan_ that I know about, but...hey, Tinker Bell's still fey, right?

The concept of Saïx being a reluctant lady-charmer was something I'd played with in _The Thirteenth Changeling_, so I liked being able to reuse the idea, especially now that my characterization of him has changed significantly because of writing _Christmas at the Castle_.

In the manga, there's a similar "Trust me" moment when Roxas is teaching Axel how to fly in Neverland.

**Saïx's eyes are gold, but Isa's were green.**

This was actually the first theme I started writing, though I finished it after Theme 2.

Complete: 3/101. Next: "Masquerade"


	4. Masquerade (theme 4)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**4. Masquerade**

A/N: School AU; they're both about 15 or 16.

o.o.o

_"Grinning yellows, spinning reds - masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you!"_

On his cue, Saïx stepped out at the head of the staircase as the stage lights briefly darkened. The next moment, his lone figure was ominously illuminated in contrast to the rest of the masked actors, all gazing at him in horrified poses. "Why, don't let me spoil this delightful party of yours..."

His role in this scene was brief, and he was soon able to return backstage. Axel, who was serving as a stagehand, silently handed him a bottle of water. Saïx accepted it and took a drink. A few moments passed. Then, "Take it off," Axel suddenly demanded.

"Sorry, the pronoun in that sentence was a little vague. Care to clarify?"

"You know what I mean."

Saïx sighed. "No, I'm not taking it off." Removing the mask and then getting chewed out by Tonomine for accidentally mussing his hair or something was just too much of a hassle.

Axel slammed his hand against the wall. "You shouldn't have agreed to be the Phantom, Saïx!"

"I need the extra credit."

"Screw being valedictorian, this isn't worth it! Your singing sucks, half the theatre class can act better than you, and ALL the theatre guys wanted the part, if for nothing else than to get to grope Aqua during Don Juan. Besides, we...we were supposed to be the theatre owners together."

"It's your own fault you resigned as Andre."

"Saïx! The only reason they made you the Phantom was because you cut up your face in a car accident when you were seven years old! LAMEST CASTING EVER!"

"We've been through this already. I don't care."

"I dare you to say that while meeting my eyes."

Annoyed with himself, Saïx forced his gaze up to Axel's. "I do not care that I was cast as the Phantom Of The Opera so that our school's drama department could be lazy with my makeup," he repeated, a little obnoxiously. (Tonomine would probably beat him with a shinai if he had been within earshot.)

"Lying," Axel said decisively. "I can always tell when you lie to me."

"Why would I lie about Tonomine having better things to do with his talent than make someone's face look like a train wreck for three nights in a row?" Still obnoxious. It was how he tended to sulk when he didn't want to completely withdraw. "My face already looks like a train wreck. Problem solved."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You shouldn't have let them cast you as the horrifically ugly guy just because they think you're ugly!" _'Ugh, knowing you, you're not even gonna steal an Aqua-grope out of it,'_ he added silently.

"And that's what _I'm_ talking about. The motives don't matter as long as I get what I want."

"Why are you...so..._mercenary_?"

"Why do you get so worked up over stupid stuff? Throwing a fit over the casting decisions and only agreeing to stay involved at all when I refused to quit...sometimes you're like a little kid."

"And sometimes you're annoying," Axel snapped.

Saïx handed the water bottle back. "My next scene's coming up."

"I should dump the rest of this over your head."

"Just like a little kid."

"Oh, go scare Christine to death with your stupid face, Erik," Axel said in disgust.

Later that week, Saïx sat frowning at a sheet of rose-scented pink paper that had been in the envelope he'd just discovered in his desk.

Axel dropped into the seat next to him. "What the heck, _another_ one?!" he exclaimed upon seeing the love note. "Is it from the creeper fangirl again, or someone else?"

"The creeper. Though she finally signed her name."

Axel peered over his friend's shoulder to read. _"Dear Sai-Sai, you were SO amazing as Erik in _The Phantom of the Opera_, you were everything I dreamed you'd be, _oh-em-gee ur so hawt I luv you blah blah blah-" He caught sight of the name at the bottom. "Dude! Wasn't that the chick who did the casting for the musical?!"

"Yes."

Axel stared, remembering all his tantrums and sulking on behalf of his best friend. "...Wow, I'm dumb."

"Yes."

"You're not supposed to agree with me!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This theme was really hard, and I couldn't get the PotO song out of my head, so finally I was just like "Whatever" and went with it. ^^; Oh, and **if you don't know much about **_**The Phantom of the Opera**_**, some of this probably makes no sense.** And since I've never had a chance for a PotO rant before, here's a mini-one - I think it's thematically screwed-up and most of the lyrics horrify me (except for "All I Ask Of You" as a spiritual allegory), but the music itself is just amazingly beautiful. Horrible half-and-half thing, argh.

**I apologize to anyone involved in theatre, since I know nothing about it and therefore this is full of horrific inaccuracies. A big thank-you to Kiryn for the clarifications! :D**

**I'm not satisfied with this drabble**, I feel like it's fundamentally flawed. Unfortunately, I'd already started writing it by the time I realized what was wrong, and I didn't feel like going back to the drawing board, so we're stuck with this. Sorry.

Although I was initially unsure whether Saïx only has the canon scars or if they're worse than usual in this AU, I'm now in agreement with K that it's probably the latter.

Tonomine is the makeup-and-hair otomen (and my favorite character, though flower-obsessed Kitora's a close second) in the _Otomen_ manga. XD

Complete: 4/101. Next: "Flawed"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**4. Masquerade [challenge version]**

Summary: Axel is not happy about Saïx's role in the school play.

A/N: School AU; they're both about 16 or 17.

o.o.o

_"Grinning yellows, spinning reds - masquerade! Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you!"_

Saïx stepped to the head of the staircase as the stage lights briefly darkened. Then his lone figure was illuminated in contrast to the crowd of masked actors, who all gazed at him in horrified poses. "Why, don't let me spoil this delightful party of yours..."

His role in this scene was brief, and he was soon able to make his exit. Axel, serving as a stagehand, silently handed him a water bottle. Moments passed. "Take it off," Axel suddenly demanded.

"Sorry, the pronoun in that sentence was a little vague. Care to clarify?"

"You know what I mean."

Saïx sighed. "I'm not taking it off." Too much hassle to remove the mask and then get chewed out by Tonomine for accidentally mussing his hairstyle or something.

Axel slammed his hand against the wall. "You shouldn't have agreed to be the Phantom, Saïx!"

"I need the extra credit."

"Screw being valedictorian, this isn't worth it! Your singing sucks, half the drama club can act better than you, and ALL the theatre guys wanted the part, if just to get to grope Aqua during Don Juan. Besides, we...were supposed to be Firmin and André together."

"It's your own fault you turned down the role."

"Saïx! The only reason they made you the Phantom was because you cut up your face in a car accident when you were seven!"

"We've been through this already. I don't care."

"I dare you to say that while meeting my eyes."

Annoyed with himself, Saïx forced his gaze up to Axel's. "I do not care that I was cast as the Phantom Of The Opera so that our school's drama department could be lazy with my makeup," he said obnoxiously.

"Lying. I can always tell when you lie to me."

"It's not a lie that Tonomine has better things to do with his talent than make someone's face look like a train wreck for three nights in a row. My face already looks like a train wreck. Problem solved."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! You shouldn't have let them cast you as the horrifically ugly guy just because they think you're ugly!" _'Ugh, knowing you, you're not even gonna steal an Aqua-grope out of it,'_ he added silently.

"And that's what _I'm_ talking about. Their motives don't matter as long as I get what I need."

"Why are you...so..._mercenary_?"

"Why do you get so worked up over stupid stuff? Throwing a fit about the casting decisions and only staying involved at all because I refused to quit...sometimes you're like a little kid."

"And sometimes you're annoying," Axel snapped.

Saïx handed back the bottle. "My next scene's coming up."

"I should dump the rest of this over your head."

"Just like a little kid."

"Argh! Go scare the living daylights outta Christine with your stupid face, Erik!"

Later that week, Saïx frowned at the rose-scented pink love note that he'd just discovered in his desk.

Axel dropped into the seat next to him. "_Another_ one? Is it from the creeper fangirl again, or someone else?"

"The creeper. Though she finally signed her name."

Axel peered over his friend's shoulder to read. _"Dear Sai-Sai, you were SO amazing as Erik in The Phantom of the Opera, _oh-em-gee ur so hawt I luv you blah blah blah-" He saw the signature. "Didn't that chick do the casting for the play?"

"Yes."

All those tantrums and sulking on behalf of his best friend... "Wow, I'm dumb."

"Yes."

"You're not supposed to agree with me!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This theme was really hard, and I couldn't get the PotO song out of my head, so finally I was just like "Whatever" and went with it. ^^; Oh, and **if you don't know much about **_**The Phantom of the Opera**_**, some of this probably makes no sense.** And since I've never had a chance for a PotO rant before, here's a mini-one: I think it's thematically screwed-up and a lot of the lyrics horrify me (except for "All I Ask Of You" as a religious allegory), but the music itself is just amazingly beautiful. Frustrating half-and-half thing, argh.

**I apologize to anyone involved in theatre, since I know nothing about it and therefore this is full of horrific inaccuracies. A big thank-you to Kiryn for the clarifications! :D**

I'm not satisfied with this drabble (even aside from the theatre-mangling), I feel like it's fundamentally flawed. Unfortunately, I'd already started writing it by the time I realized what was wrong, and I didn't feel like going back to the drawing board, so we're stuck with this. Sorry.

Although I was initially unsure whether Saïx only has the canon scars or if they're worse than usual in this AU, I'm now in agreement with K that it's probably the latter.

Tonomine is the makeup-and-hair otomen (and my favorite character, though flower-obsessed Kitora's a close second) in the _Otomen_ manga series. XD

Complete: 4/101. Next: "Flawed"


	5. Flawed (theme 5)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**5. Flawed**

Summary: Vexen wishes he had called in sick today. :p

A/N: They're both fifteen here (I think). "Niisan" means "older brother."

o.o.o

"...And so, you see, it becomes quite obvious that these people make their living from running the trains," Vexen finished haughtily.

"I think your theory's flawed," Saïx said coolly.

"I think your _face_ is flawed," Axel added for good measure.

The scientist glared. "You little upstarts! Is this what I get for sacrificing my valuable time to explain the basics of recon to you?"

"Yes," they answered in chorus.

"I wanted the kid to show us around," Axel sighed exaggeratedly. "His little face is so funny when you call him 'Sempai'..."

"Or when you prank him," Saïx added.

Axel laughed. "Yeah, that too."

"Zexion is my junior colleague, and outranks you," Vexen growled. "If I hear that you've been harassing him again, I'll have both of you punished!"

"Hey, we don't harass him!" Axel said indignantly. "We just...tease him a little..."

"Put Cola in his coffee mug..."

"See what his hair looks like dyed pink..."

"Quiz him extensively on the female anatomy sections of his textbooks-"

Both boys dodged out of the way of Vexen's Blizzard spell.

"Oooohh, you wanna play, old man?" Axel asked gleefully, summoning his chakrams (_still_ could not get over how freaking cool they were).

"You have no idea what you're taking on," Vexen snarled, as his shield materialized and the air grew noticeably chillier.

"Oh, look, a local," Saïx said. The three Nobodies stepped prudently back into an alleyway as a teenage boy came around a corner. A second boy, about five or six years old, trotted along at his heels.

"...but I _wasn't_ imagining it, Niisan!" the child was insisting. "I really did see a black monster with glowy eyes!"

"Hayner, next time I'm not gonna tell you to shut up, I'm just gonna hit ya."

"I'll tell Mom!"

One of the town's numerous courtesy skateboards was sitting in the alley near the wall. Saïx put his foot on it. The slight scuffing sound drew Axel's attention. Their eyes met. Saïx casually toss-rolled the board to Axel's feet.

Vexen was fixated on the locals, watching almost gleefully as the older boy shoved his little brother against a wall and raised his fist. "Last warning, punk!"

"Don't hit me! Don't hit me! I'll tell Mom!"

"That's _not_ what I wanna hear," the older boy snarled.

"Whooooooooo!"

Both brothers looked up in astonishment as a teenage redhead in a black coat came whizzing out of nowhere on a skateboard. "What the-?"

"Incoming!" Axel shrieked as he swiftly approached a wall, tried awkwardly to turn, and finally stumbled off at the last second. The empty board crashed against the wall and then drifted off in a different direction. "Stupid skateboard!" Axel pointed his finger. The board ignited. Then he turned to the local boys and grinned hugely, as the skateboard turned black behind him within its heap of impossible flames. "Hayner, my man! 'Sup!"

The child was staring at him with huge eyes. "Uhhhh..."

Saïx came up behind him and scooped him up. "How's our little buddy doing?" he asked calmly, his unsettling eyes resting squarely on the other boy's.

The guy backed off. "Hayner, you know these freaks?" he asked nervously.

"Sure he does," Axel said, so close that the guy jumped and hurriedly backed away even more. Axel grinned and came to pose beside Saïx, the two of them in their coats forming a sort of ominous black frame around the child. "We're best friends! Got a problem with that?"

"N-No... No, man. Hayner can hang out with whoever the freak he wants." The guy turned and left quickly.

Hayner was staring up at them, still huge-eyed but now looking more curious than astonished. He raised a finger to point. "You have tattoos."

"Yup," Axel said, because it was easier than long explanations. "Like 'em?"

"They're cool. I want tattoos. Tough guys have tattoos."

"You don't need tattoos to be tough," Saïx said.

"You're just saying that 'cuz you don't have any," Axel teased.

"You guys are tough," Hayner said admiringly. "Next time Niisan's mean, I'll tell him you'll come beat him up."

"That was the idea," Saïx murmured, almost to himself. He set the boy down again. "Run along now. Stay away from the monsters."

"But I wanna hang out with you guys," Hayner said in dismay.

"Nah, we've got work to do." Axel pointed with his thumb. "See that geezer back there? He's gonna kill us for goofing off during a mission. Trust me, you don't wanna get in the way when that happens."

Hayner's eyes were wide again. "Okay. But...can I see you again? He won't kill you for real, right?"

"Nah."

"Hard to kill things that aren't really alive anyway," Saïx murmured, so that only Axel could hear.

Vexen stormed out as soon as the child was out of sight. "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE _DOING_?" he thundered.

"Just having a little fun."

"Yeah, this mission's boring."

"LET'S SEE HOW MUCH FUN YOU'LL HAVE IN THE DUNGEON FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON!"

It was boring, they got hungry from having missed both lunch and dinner, and the confinement was grating. Both them agreed that it had not been worth it.

Yet somehow, the memories of that mission still made them smile, even years afterward.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I could NOT get the (much darker) original story for this to have anything to do with "Flawed," so I finally assigned it to "No" (and later "Laugh") and re-started this one from scratch. ^^;

Complete: 5/101. Next: "Trust Me"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**5. Flawed [challenge version]**

Summary: Vexen wishes he had called in sick today. :p

A/N: They're both fifteen here (I think). "Niisan" means "older brother."

o.o.o

"...therefore, _obviously_ this cannot be a perpetual sunset," Vexen finished haughtily.

"I think your theory's flawed," Saïx remarked.

"I think your _face_ is flawed," Axel added.

"You little upstarts! Is this what I get for sacrificing my valuable time to explain the basics of recon to you?"

"I wanted the kid to show us around," Axel sighed. "His little face is so funny when you call him 'Sempai'..."

"Or when you prank him," Saïx added.

"Yeah, that too."

"If you've been harassing Zexion again, I'll have both of you punished," Vexen growled.

"We don't harass him! We just...tease him a little..."

"Put Cola in his coffee mug..."

"Fill his hair gel bottles with pink dye..."

"Quiz him on the female anatomy chapter of-"

Both boys dodged Vexen's Blizzard spell.

"Oooohh, you wanna play, old man?" Axel gleefully summoned his chakrams.

"You have no idea what you're taking on," Vexen snarled.

"Locals," Saïx warned.

The Nobodies stepped into hiding as a teenage boy came around the corner, with another boy about five years old. "I _didn't_ imagine it, Niisan! I saw a black monster with glowy eyes!"

"Hayner, I'm not gonna tell you to shut up, I'm just gonna hit ya."

"I'll tell Mom!"

A courtesy skateboard was nearby. Saïx casually toss-rolled it to Axel.

Vexen watched gleefully as the older boy shoved his little brother against a wall and raised his fist. "Last warning, punk!"

"Don't hit me! I'll tell Mom!"

"Wrong answer," the older boy snarled.

"Wooooooooo!"

Both brothers looked up as a teenage redhead in a black coat came whizzing out of nowhere.

"Incoming!" Axel shrieked as he swiftly approached a wall and stumbled off at the last second. The empty board crashed and then drifted in a different direction. "Stupid skateboard!" Axel pointed his finger, igniting it. Then he turned to the locals and grinned. "Hayner, my man! 'Sup!"

The child, open-mouthed, yelped as Saïx scooped him up from behind.

"How's our buddy doing?" Saïx murmured, his unsettling eyes piercing the older brother's.

The guy backed off. "Hayner, you know these freaks?"

"Sure he does," Axel said, so close that the guy jumped. Axel came to pose beside Saïx, the two of them in their coats forming an ominous black frame around the child. "Got a problem?"

"N-No, man." The guy practically fled.

Hayner stared at them, still huge-eyed but now more curious than astonished. "You have tattoos."

"Yup," Axel said. "Like 'em?"

"They're cool. I want tattoos. Tough guys have tattoos."

"You don't need tattoos to be tough," Saïx said.

"You're just saying that 'cuz you don't have any," Axel teased.

"You guys are tough," Hayner said admiringly. "Next time Niisan's mean, I'll tell him you'll beat him up."

"That was the idea," Saïx murmured. He set the boy down again. "Run along now. Stay away from monsters."

"But I wanna hang out with you guys!"

"No can do, bro," Axel said. "See that geezer back there? He's gonna kill us for goofing off. Trust me, you don't wanna stick around for that."

Hayner's eyes were wide again. "Okay. But...can I see you again? He won't kill you for real, right?"

"Nah."

"Hard to kill beings that don't exist," Saïx mused.

They were punished for blatant rule-breaking, but never had to partner with Vexen again. It was totally worth it.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Headdesked a lot over this one's word count. DX Maybe the premise is too big for a drabble...

I could NOT get the (much darker) original story for this to have anything to do with "Flawed," so I finally assigned it to "No" (and later "Laugh") and re-started this one from scratch. ^^;

Complete: 5/101. Next: "Trust Me"


	6. Trust Me (theme 6)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**6. Trust Me**

Summary: Saïx may not care about his birthdays anymore, but this is one that Axel definitely does not want to miss.

A/N: This one's kind of silly. *wince*

333

It had been two weeks now, and this new job had not gotten any easier. Saïx did not realize how closely he was hunched over his desk as he tried to figure out if he should send Vexen and Zexion to Wonderland together, or pair Zexion with Marluxia instead, and how much of Demyx's "It's too haaaaaaard when I'm on my own!" was the usual faking and how much was genuine.

A commotion alerted him to someone entering the room. He could tell it was Axel from the scent, and from the way his Berserkers huddled together in protective clumps. "Yo, Saïx!"

"I'm busy," he snapped.

Axel paused by his desk. "You look like you need a break."

"No, I look like I need to be left alone."

"Aw, come on, Sai," Axel crooned persuasively. "Your brain's gonna explode if you keep this up. Just like it did back when you were studying for high school entrance exams."

"This and that are entirely different!" Saïx found himself bursting out, then frowned at the lapse in control.

Swiftly, Axel seized the pile of paperwork and flung it into the air.

"AXEL."

"Come with me," Axel said brightly amidst a rain of fluttering paper. "That new world I did recon in last week was awesome. Trust me, you'll love it." He grabbed Saïx's arm and yanked him to his feet.

"I said _no_."

Listening to authority figures was not exactly Axel's strong suit, and Saïx inevitably found himself dragged against his will into a bright world filled with music and color and merriment. And lots of fruit.

"Hello, sweetie!" Axel laughed as a woman with a zebra body below the waist seized his hands and spun him around in delight. "Sai, come play with the horsies!"

"...They're centaurs." Saïx shivered as a chubby naked child with wings came fluttering curiously up to him, soon joined by two of its fellows and a baby pegasus. "Axel...have you ever heard of something we call a Non-Interference Rule?"

"They don't even talk, it'll be fine."

Saïx tried in vain to stop the cupids from twining his hair into long blue braids. Even he could not quite bring himself to smash a claymore into creatures who looked like infants. At least they weren't Heartless. And besides, Axel was the only one around, there was no reason the rest of the Organization had to find out...

A fat, jolly man with grapes in his hair came riding up, merrily waving a cup of dark liquid in the Nobodies' direction.

"Dude!" Axel exclaimed. "Just the guy I was looking for!"

That night, a disheveled and tired-looking Axel emerged from a dark corridor with the Luna Diviner on his back. "Sai, we're home."

"You smell like charcoal and apples," Saïx giggled into his neck, the words barely distinguishable.

"And you smell like alcohol and vomit," Axel returned conversationally. "Which was kinda the point, so I won't hold it against you." He dumped the berserker into bed and then rubbed at his own shoulders in relief. "So, how does it feel to be legal now, birthday boy?"

"I'm drunk!"

"Yep."

"Ha ha, you made me drunk!"

"I also filmed it," Axel said with relish.

"Is it yummy?"

"Go to sleep, Sai."

"Okay. 'Night."

"'Night."

"Love you."

"...Saïx, I am going to turn the video camera back on, and then I want you to say that again."

"*snore*"

"Dang it!"

333

Author's Notes: Saïx turns 21, in case that wasn't clear. The world they went to was the Greek mythology segment with Dionysus in _Fantasia_. (I was like, "Hm, what Disney movie can someone get raving drunk in...? Oh yeah, the one with the god of partying. XD")

I'd accidentally already done some "Trust me"s for other themes, so it took some digging to think of this one. It's fine, though; I prefer the interpretations to be less traditional.

ROUGH DRAFT WAS UNDER THE 600 WORD LIMIT, W00T! Second draft to do so; the first was for a later theme.

Complete: 6/101. Next: "Scream"


	7. Scream (theme 7)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**7. Scream**

Summary: Apparently, this happens to Saïx a lot? o.O

**A/N: I don't know how old they are here...17 maybe? Silly vague canon timeline...**

333

It took a while to adjust to the fact that they now had a female living in the castle.

For example, Axel and Demyx seemed to be pretty dense about the concept of Flirting With Larxene Is A Bad Idea. Poor Lexaeus and Zexion were the ones on shopping duty the first time certain feminine products were on the grocery list. And although Xaldin was pretty good about remembering to be dressed before leaving his room these days, Xemnas still tended to take a dagger or two to the head whenever Larxene came across him without attire.

Saïx was, ordinarily, a responsible and detail-oriented young man. Unfortunately, he was not a morning person, a trait which had only intensified after he became the Luna Diviner. This fact led to his forgetting that it was now important to notice which bathroom he was entering at 7:00 a.m. when he was still half-asleep.

A piercing scream echoed through the halls, drawing several Organization members into the corridor where it had originated.

"Did you hear that?"

"What's going on?"

"That was Larxene, wasn't it?"

Saïx came out of the bathroom again and leaned back against the door, his face completely blank except for a red slash that was startling to dribble down his cheek.

Axel came over, chewed and swallowed the last bite of his bagel, then pressed the napkin to Saïx's face, soaking up the blood. "Sai," he said gravely, though his eyes were twinkling. "That one's the ladies' room."

"There's a girl in there," Saïx said faintly.

"Yeah, we figured. Really, though - you should've known better, after last time."

"Last time?" Demyx piped up inquisitively.

Axel glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah, back in high school when someone switched the signs as a prank, and Isa-"

Saïx swiftly reached out to cover his mouth - too late, of course.

"This is the _second_ time you've walked into a girls' bathroom?" Demyx exclaimed in delight.

"Nice," Xigbar laughed. "Whaddaya say about Number VII's Reputation Meter, Dem? Couple of notches up, or down?"

Demyx put on a decent imitation of Vexen's sciencey drone. "Well, considering the circumstances, likely intent, and comedic factor, as well as the subject's usual attitudes and behavior, I propose we award him a score of..."

Saïx had left long before they decided on the outcome.

333

Author's Notes: YAY, I remembered to hold off on posting this one until after the original CatC reference was up, for once! *proud of self*

Complete: 7/101. Next: "Family"


	8. Family (theme 8)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**8. Family**

Summary: The four of them, together. Anything else is unacceptable.

A/N: This AU is...really hard to explain. DX Inspired by HetaOni, if that helps.

o.o.o

Axel opened his eyes, staring hazily up at the ceiling before he remembered. Then he shot out of bed, staring around wildly.

He was in a house. _His_ house. Which meant...

"No, no, no, no, no," he whispered, struggling to his feet and staggering to the door. No, _no_, the skies were clear and sunny, he could hear freaking birdsong, every single one of his possessions lay unscathed where he had left them before-

Axel stopped short at the threshold of the living room. It was occupied. "What...are you..._doing_ here?" he whispered.

"Axel!"

"You're up!"

Roxas and Xion ran to him, all smiles. Roxas was in the goth outfit from six games ago, though his beaming expression was like it had been at the very beginning, when he was still calling himself 'Sora.' Yet Xion was still obviously a girl...but her hair was short, like in the earlier games where she'd been a boy. Saïx appeared to be sulking on the other side of the room, still in the battered police officer uniform from the last game, the one Axel thought would be the end.

"What are you all DOING here?" he demanded again. None of them should be here, none of them. He glanced at the TV to make sure - yes, there it was, the news report about the meteor, two days before the apocalypse. Which meant that Saïx hadn't arrested him yet, Roxas hadn't tried to steal his truck, and Xion should still be preaching about the Second Coming. None of them should even know his _name_ yet, much less look so glad to see him. "How the _freak_ are you here?!"

"Saïx used the Glitch," Roxas explained breathlessly. "The last me died - sorry Axel, I know I- he- we- whatever; I know I promised, but I couldn't help it, I had to die, but he/me/whatever gave me all his memories, all the ones he had of all the games, and...and, well, Xion found me, and she likes being a girl better, you know; and- gah, there's so much to tell you!"

"You LIED to us!" Xion cried indignantly. She grabbed Axel by the front of his shirt and shook him. He was still in a state of shock and could not defend himself. "You - lied - to - us! You told us we'd all get out safely!"

Axel managed to push her away. "I said _you'd_ get out safely. I never said anything about me."

Roxas hit him.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"We promised we'd escape TOGETHER," the boy growled. "You can't be such a jerk through sixty-nine freaking games and then go all sacrificial hero on us for the last eight rounds! That's not how it _works_!"

Unable to face the kids anymore, Axel raised his eyes to Saïx. "Why'd you use the Glitch?" he demanded. "That was _yours_. You wasted it. You were supposed to get Roxas and Xion to safety, not fling us all back in time just so we can get ripped to pieces YET AGAIN! Do you really hate them that much? Did you really want to spite me _that much_? You didn't even get _yourself_ out!"

Saïx stood up and crossed the room, coming to a halt when he stood right in front of Axel. Then he opened his mouth and spoke the longest consecutive string of words Axel had ever heard him say throughout all seventy-seven games. "They're right. We're winning this together, all four of us. I don't care what Roxas has done or where Xion came from or how annoying they both are. I don't care that you've ruined my life. What I do care about is the three of you. I can't go back. I don't _want_ to go back anymore. I hate you all and I love you all and we are family now. The Glitch was a small price to pay." He raised his hand, displaying the number 7 that had been tattooed there, so many games ago that Axel couldn't even remember. Then he pointed to the 8 on Axel's hand. "This is the seventy-eighth game. This is the one we will win, _together_."

Axel stared at him for a long time. Then Roxas took one of his hands, and Xion took the other, and when they grasped Saïx's hands, Axel saw the three of them smiling together for the first time ever. He could not help smiling back. "Agreed."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Casual backstory ftw. ^^;

Complete: 8/101. Next: "Invasion"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**8. Family [challenge version]**

Summary: The four of them, together. Anything else is unacceptable.

A/N: This AU is...really hard to explain. Inspired by HetaOni and _War of the Worlds_, if that helps.

o.o.o

Axel stared hazily up at the ceiling. Then he remembered. He shot out of bed, looking around wildly.

This was his own house. Which meant... "No, no, no, no, no," he whispered, staggering to the door.

Clear, sunny skies, freaking birdsong outside the windows, his possessions lying unscathed where he had left them-

Axel halted in the entrance to the living room. "What...are you..._doing_ here?" he whispered.

"Axel!"

"You're awake!"

The kids ran to him. Roxas was in the goth outfit from six games ago, though his beaming expression was like it had been at the very beginning, when he was still calling himself 'Sora.' Xion was obviously a girl, but her hair was short, like in the earlier games where she'd been a boy. Across the room, Saïx was still wearing the last game's battered uniform.

None of them should be here. Axel glanced at the TV - there it was, the news report about the meteor, two days before the apocalypse. Which meant that Saïx hadn't arrested him yet, Roxas hadn't tried to steal his truck, and Xion should still be preaching the Second Coming. None of them should even _know_ him yet, much less look so glad to see him. "How the _freak_ are you here?!"

"Saïx used the Glitch," Roxas explained. "The last me died after you did - sorry, Axel, I know I- he- whatever; I know he promised, but I couldn't help it, I had to die, but he/me/whatever gave me all his memories from the other games, and- gah, there's so much to tell you!"

"You LIED to us!" Xion cried. She grabbed Axel and shook him. "You told us we'd all - get - out - safe!"

Axel pushed her away. "I said _you'd_ get out safely. I never said anything about me."

Roxas hit him.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"We promised we'd escape TOGETHER," the boy growled. "You can't be a selfish jerk through sixty-nine freaking games and then go all sacrificial hero on us for the last eight rounds! That's not how it _works_!"

Unable to face them anymore, Axel turned to Saïx. "Why'd you use the Glitch?" he demanded. "That was _yours_. You wasted it. You were supposed to get Roxas and Xion to safety, not fling us all back in time just so we can get ripped to pieces YET AGAIN! Do you really hate them that much? Did you really want to spite me _that much_? You didn't even get _yourself_ out!"

Saïx stood and crossed the room, coming straight up to Axel. Then he spoke the longest consecutive string of words Axel had heard him say in any of the previous games.

"The four of us are winning this together. I don't care what Roxas has done or where Xion came from or how annoying they both are. I don't care that you've ruined my life. What I do care about is the three of you. I can't go back. I don't _want_ to go back anymore. I hate you all and I love you all and we are family now. The Glitch was a small price to pay." He raised his hand, where the number VII tattoo that had disappeared nine games ago was now visible again. He pointed to Axel's VIII. "This is the seventy-eighth game. This is the one we will win."

Axel stared at him. Then Roxas and Xion grasped his and Saïx's hands, and Axel saw the three of them smiling together for the first time ever. He found himself smiling back. "Agreed."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Casual backstory ftw.

Complete: 8/101. Next: "Invasion"


	9. Invasion (theme 9)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**9. Invasion**

Summary: Saïx does not trust Axel's judgment on who should be allowed into the castle.

A/N: **This is "Beauty and the Beast"...**

333

"What did you think you were doing?" Saïx stormed. His wooden footsteps made clacking sounds as he paced angrily back and forth across the table. "Letting him in, sitting him by the fire _in the master's chair_, serving him TEA-"

"I was _trying_ to be, oh, what's the word? _Hos-pi-ta-ble_," Axel ground out, his candle flames burning high with agitation. "Just because we're not human anymore doesn't mean we have to be jerks."

"You had no business doing such a thing!"

"Saïx! It was _raining_!"

"Just because YOU hate the rain doesn't mean other people can't survive in it!"

"Did you lose your heart along with the rest of your body or something?"

"It's my job to oversee everything that goes on in this castle, and allowing complete strangers to have access to this property without our master's consent is a serious breach of- _Are you mocking me?_"

"No, I'm just making 'blah blah blah' motions for the sheer joy of it," Axel snapped.

"You really do-"

Both of them froze at the same moment.

"Papa?"

They had not imagined it. There was definitely a lilting, feminine voice calling out somewhere in the corridor.

Impeding each other's progress in their heedless scramble, Saïx and Axel managed to get down from the table. They flung themselves around the doorframe just in time to see a small cloaked figure disappearing down the hall.

"Was that a-?" Axel's throat was too choked to finish.

"A girl," Saïx whispered. "Here, in the castle."

"What is this, an invasion? First that old man, now _her_!"

"She must have come for him. She was calling for her father."

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with hope.

"I'd ask you to pinch me," Axel said, "except that we don't dream anymore, so I know I'm not dreaming."

"There's no time to waste with your nonsense," Saïx said impatiently. "We must work fast if we are to guide her and the master together."

"Oooh, Sai's playing matchmaker now, eh?"

"Don't be tiresome. Let's go."

"Right behind ya, _mon ami_."

Together, they hurried as fast as they could after the girl, determined to show her the way.

333

Author's Notes: I'm starting to notice that when I reach a hard theme, I end up going with whatever first comes into my head when I think of the word. In this case, Gaston and the villagers storming Beast's castle. So I stuck the KH boys in there and played around with it a little 'til it became this. Sorry if it seems inordinately weird or not Axel-and-Saïxey enough...

Complete: 9/101. Next: "Perfectly Broken"


	10. Perfectly Broken (theme 10)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**10. Perfectly Broken**

Summary: Not enough cookies to go around...or are there?

o.o.o

Saïx sat at the dining room table with a pen in his right hand and a breakfast taco in his left, gritting his teeth while unsuccessfully trying to drown out the children's voices.

"There's only two cookies left, though."

"I wish there'd been more for me to bring back..."

"Look," Axel spoke up, "honestly, I don't need a cookie. You two can take them."

"No!"

"I brought the cookies back for _both_ of you!"

Saïx took another bite of taco and then tried to press his palm against his left ear, struggling to concentrate on the mission report in front of him. _'Numbers V and VI in Wonderland for recon, except this was the one where Lexaeus got reassigned from the Coliseum...'_

"Hey, I have an idea!"

"What is it?"

"Maybe we can break the cookies."

"Oh! That's great, Roxas! I'm sure that will work."

There was a faint snapping sound.

"Oops..."

"Oh no!"

"Um, Axel..."

"This side is huge, and this side is tiny! We can't split the cookie like that, it's not fair!"

"For crying out loud." That was Axel again. "Guys, I'm serious, this is not a big deal. I'm a big boy, I can live without getting a cookie."

"But _all three of us_ are supposed to share!"

"Axel, I just - I just don't feel right. I want you to have a cookie."

Saïx pressed his hand harder against his ear. It did not help. _'Just ignore them, just ignore them, just ignore them...'_ If only more members were in the room, making chatter and white noise to help distract from the trio's idiocy - unfortunately, Saïx was alone with those three. _'Maybe I should start eating breakfast in my room from now on.'_

"Here, Axel, _you_ break this cookie. You can probably do it better than me."

"Roxas, it's impossible to make a perfectly broken cookie, one side's always going to be a least a tiny bit bigger than the other. And, yet again, I DON'T NEED ONE."

"..."

"..."

"For the love of Kingdom Hearts, stop making Puppy Eyes at me! Ugh, just hand it over."

There was a second snapping sound.

"Ohhhh! That's perfect, Axel!"

"I thought you said you couldn't make a perfect broken cookie."

Saïx finished his taco. He was still hungry. Well - not hungry, exactly. But he still had an annoyingly inexplicable craving for...something else to eat.

"You wanna take it to Vexen and ask him to measure it for you?"

"...No."

"Okay, whatever, it's not perfect. Still better than anything we could do."

There were happy crunching sounds. Saïx firmly fixed his eyes on the report. _'Six returned with Five to the Coliseum upon completion of the Wonderland mission. I suppose I ought to adjust the mission rewards once I've fixed my records.'_

"Axel, what are we gonna do with the extra piece?"

The Luna Diviner did not headdesk. He was, however, sorely tempted to do so at this moment.

"Hmmm...that's a puzzle, isn't it. Maybe we should find someone else to give it to."

"Like who?"

Saïx deliberately relaxed his jaw when he realized he was gritting his teeth again.

"Well..." Axel got up. Though Saïx could not see him at all, he was very aware of Number VIII's approaching presence. The footsteps stopped directly behind his chair. "Saïx," Axel remarked, "your pen hasn't moved at all in the last five minutes."

"It's difficult to concentrate with the three of you yapping away like that," Saïx ground out.

"Hey, Saïx. There's this magic word I know," Axel continued, his voice laced with amusement. "Sometimes it works pretty well to get something you want."

Seconds ticked by. Saïx could practically _feel_ the children's puzzled, curious gazes boring into him. Finally, he resumed annotating the report in cursive, except for a select few letters.

_**P**__rogress of __**L**__exaeus was __**e**__xceptional __**a**__nd __**s**__hall be __**e**__xcellently rewarded._

He flinched at Axel's burst of laughter. "Heh heh...whatever, good enough. Come on Roxas, Xion, let's go." A piece of cookie was dropped onto the report, and then the idiotic trio were leaving, babbling more of their nonsense at each other.

Saïx picked up the cookie, glaring at the grease stain it left behind. He forgot to keep glaring when the taste of sugar hit his tongue.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Once again, apparently I deal with writer's block on these drabbles by trying to cram Axel and Saïx into the first thing that comes to mind when I look at the prompt. In this case, broken cookies. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 10/101. Next: "Puzzles"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**10. Perfectly Broken [challenge version]**

Summary: Not enough cookies to go around...or are there?

o.o.o

Saïx sat with a pen in his right hand and a breakfast taco in his left, gritting his teeth while unsuccessfully trying to ignore the children's voices.

"There's only two left, though."

"I wish I could've brought back more..."

"Look," Axel spoke up, "honestly, I don't need a cookie. You guys can take them."

"No!"

"I wanted _both_ of you to have cookies!"

Saïx took another bite of taco and then tried to press his palm against his ear, struggling to concentrate on the mission report in front of him. _'Numbers V and VI in Wonderland for recon, except this was the one where Lexaeus got reassigned from the Coliseum...'_

"Hey! Maybe we can split the cookies in half."

"Oh! That's a great idea, Roxas!"

There was a snapping sound.

"Oops..."

"Oh no!"

"One side is huge, and the other's too small..."

"We can't split the cookie like that, it's not fair."

"Ugh." Axel again. "Guys, this is not a big deal. I can live without a cookie."

"But _all three of us_ should share!"

"Axel, I just don't feel right. I want you to have one."

Saïx closed his eyes. _'Just ignore them, just ignore them...'_ If only more people were in the room, making white noise to distract from the trio's idiocy - unfortunately, Saïx was alone with those three.

"Axel, _you_ break this cookie. You'll do it better."

"Roxas, it's impossible to make a perfectly broken cookie, one side's always going to be at least a tiny bit bigger than the other. And, yet again, I DON'T NEED ONE."

"..."

"..."

"Stop making Puppy Eyes at me!"

There was a second snapping sound.

"Ohhhh! That's perfect, Axel!"

"I thought you said you couldn't do it."

Saïx finished his taco. He was still hungry. Well - not exactly. Yet he still had a craving for...something else to eat.

"You wanna have Vexen measure it?" Axel challenged.

"...No."

"Fine, it's not perfect. Still better than anything we could do."

There were happy crunching sounds. Saïx firmly fixed his eyes on the report. _'Six returned with Five to the Coliseum upon completion of the Wonderland mission. I need to adjust my records.'_

"Axel, what are we gonna do with the extra piece?"

The Luna Diviner did not headdesk. He was, however, sorely tempted to do so at this moment.

"Hmmm...maybe we should find someone else to give it to."

"Like who?"

Saïx deliberately relaxed his jaw when he realized that he was gritting his teeth again.

"Well..." Axel got up. Though Saïx could not see him at all, he was very aware of Number VIII's approaching presence. "Saïx," Axel remarked, "your pen hasn't moved in the last five minutes."

"It's difficult to concentrate with the three of you yapping away like that."

"Hey, Saïx. There's this magic word," Axel continued in amusement. "Sometimes it works pretty well when you want something."

Saïx could _feel_ the children's puzzled, curious gazes. Finally, he resumed annotating the report in cursive, except for certain letters.

_**P**__rogress of __**L**__exaeus was __**e**__xceptional __**a**__nd __**s**__hall be __**e**__xcellently rewarded._

He flinched at Axel's burst of laughter. "Heh, good enough." A piece of cookie was dropped onto the report, and then the idiotic trio left.

Saïx picked up the cookie, glaring at the grease stain it left behind. He forgot to keep glaring when the taste of sugar hit his tongue.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Once again, apparently I deal with writer's block on these drabbles by trying to cram Axel and Saïx into the first thing that comes to mind when I look at the prompt. In this case, broken cookies. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 10/101. Next: "Puzzles"


	11. Puzzles (theme 11)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**11. Puzzles**

Summary: A shared mission in Wonderland.

A/N: They're about 19 years old here.

333

"If you say 'I hate Wonderland' one more time, I'm gonna smack you."

"And the next time you waste more of our Elixir supply on the talking flowers, I'm going to smack _you_."

The two young Nobodies glared at each other in the middle of the garden.

"Come on," Saïx finally grumbled. "Let's find the target and get this mission over with."

"Then can we _please_ go for ice cream on the clock tower after work today? Seriously. The fact that you've been ditching me for The Cryptkeeper hurts, Sai, it really does."

"Cut it out with the theatrics." They both knew perfectly well that nothing could cause emotional pain until they got their hearts back. "Vexen hates organizing missions, he would rather devote his time to research and experimentation. And whenever he _does_ get to work on what he actually wants to do, then half the time he's tearing his hair out because Zexion's swamped with the backlog of mission reports and can't help. If I can convince Lord Xemnas that I'm responsible and trustworthy enough to take on their jobs and free them up for the more scientific work, it'll give me more leverage to- Are you listening?"

"Heh heh...nope. Too distracted imagining Vexy all bald, except with little tufts of torn-out hair."

"...If I had a heart, the mental imagery of that would be making me sick. You're disgusting."

"All part of my charm."

"Apparently, you're delusional, as well."

They had reached the Hedge Maze by this time. Axel summoned his chakrams, grinning. "You ready for this, bro?"

Saïx gritted his teeth, his claymore appearing in his hand. "As ready as I'll ever be. Sacred moon, I hate puzzles."

"I really will burn down the Maze for you, if you want."

"No. I'm not going to be your excuse for breaking the Non-Interference Rule again."

"Then don't blame me when you get frustrated and go berserker on the walking cards, I'm just gonna sit there and laugh."

"One needs a heart to get frustrated, Axel."

"So last time when you went on a rampage during what was supposed to be a stealth mission, it was totally on purpose, right?"

Saïx glared. "Last time, we were here after dark. The sun is out now, it's different."

_"The sun was shining on the sea, shining with all his might,"_ Axel sang. _"And this was odd, because it was the middle of the-"_

"Shut up."

"Aw, not a Carroll fan?"

"Let's just get this over with so we can go to Twilight Town. We're not even in the Maze yet, and already I need ice cream..."

"W00t! Flurry of Dancing Flames: 1. Vexen: 0. Thanks, Wonderland!"

333

Author's Notes: **I tweaked the quote a little to make it fit better. It's from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter," which appeared in **_**Through the Looking-Glass and What**__** Alice Found There**_**.**

FTR, this is not the same universe as "Trust Me," in case you were wondering about the discrepancy.

Complete: 11/101. Next: "Enemies"


	12. Enemies (theme 12)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**12. Enemies**

Summary: Fortunately for Saïx, they have no idea that he is one of their natural enemies.

o.o.o

Saïx may have been dubbed cold and heartless by the other villagers, but he still considered himself a decent human being. Decent people did not respond to being rescued from drowning by killing their rescuers. Decent people did not harm said rescuers in any way, or ignore their Puppy Eyes when cooking supper.

Saïx glared at the hatchling over the ridge of crackling flames. "Just because you saved my life doesn't mean I have to feed you."

_"Hungry,"_ the male said.

Saïx winced. He could not get used to the uncomfortable sensation of someone else's voice invading his mind. "I don't care."

_"Food, please,"_ the female added.

"No."

They hunched lower, their tails wrapping uncertainly around their scaly bodies.

"Where is your dam?" he asked gruffly. Having an adult dragon around would be very, very bad, but neither did he relish the thought of being responsible for two needy creatures his conscience would not allow him to dispose of.

_"Dead."_

Saïx blinked. "What?"

_"Mama's dead."_

"...Who takes care of you, then?" They were too young; surely they were not capable of fending for themselves yet, were they? The very fact that they had saved him, a human, meant that they lacked at least one essential self-preservation skill.

_"Papa does."_

_"I miss Papa."_

_"Me, too."_

_"Roxas, when is Papa coming back?"_

_"I don't know, Xion. Maybe he's dead, too."_

The female lifted her head and began to keen, a sound so piercingly lovely and so filled with grief that it seemed to strike Saïx to the heart. When he realized he had tears on his face, he snatched the roasting meat out of the fire, flung it at the hatchlings' feet, and stormed away. He had no obligation to them. He wanted nothing to do with them. They had given, and he had given back; it was finished, right?

It was too dark to travel far. It was also cold. Saïx gave up and managed to find a place to sleep, and did not complain when the hatchlings found him again and curled up beside him, their body heat like a shield against the night's chill.

Morning dawned far too early, and with a roar. Saïx was jolted awake, confronted with the awful sight of a full-grown scarlet dragon towering over him, smoke billowing out between its fangs, its emerald eyes aflame with rage.

_"Papa!"_ The ecstatic hatchlings leaped to their feet. _"You're back!"_

_"Papa, look at the funny animal we found!"_

_"He's tiny, but he's full grown, and he talks."_

_"We named him Luna Diviner. Isn't he cute?"_

A firestorm descended. Saïx thought it was the end, but though he felt crushed and unbearably hot, it was somehow not as agonizing as he expected.

After what felt like a long time, the flames ceased. Saïx was still alive. He opened his eyes in amazement. Then the hatchlings uncurled their wings from around his body, and he realized with a shock that they had shielded him from certain death.

_"Papa!"_

_"Are you _stupid_?! He has no scales, he's flammable!"_

_"You nearly killed him, Papa!"_

Then came the adult dragon's voice, feeling like it would split Saïx's mind in two. _"GET AWAY FROM THE HUMAN."_

The hatchlings stared at each other, then at Saïx. _"What human?"_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"You're not saying that Luna Diviner is a human, are you?"_

_"He can't be! He's nice!"_

The hatchlings stared at Saïx in horror.

He stared back. And found himself saying in response to their betrayed expressions, "You and I are enemies."

They backed away from him. Then they lifted their heads and keened.

Their song of grief filled the air, and after a long time, their sire moved. He lowered his head until he was uncomfortably close, and Saïx knew the dragon was reading his scent, sifting through the layers and discerning what there was to find there. _"YOU WISH TO DESTROY MY CHILDREN."_

"Not anymore," Saïx said truthfully.

_"HMMM."_ The dragon paused. _"SHALL I LET YOU LIVE?"_

"Your children did."

_"THEY DIDN'T KNOW BETTER."_

"Will you take a bribe?"

_"...MAYBE."_

They regarded each other warily.

_"I SCENT NO TREASURE ON YOU."_

"I have none. I offer my service." Saïx paused. "For seven weeks."

_"NO. YOU'RE MINE FOR SEVEN YEARS."_

"What happened to a year and a day?" Saïx sputtered, horrified even though he had expected something like this. "What of the life and family I'm leaving behind?"

_"YOU HAVE NO FAMILY, OTHERWISE THEIR SCENT WOULD BE ON YOU. YOU STINK OF DISCONTENT AND LONELINESS. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE."_

"..." So true. Still. Forced to live among dangerous wild beasts, among the hated dragons, as their servant for seven _years_?

_"SEVEN MOON-TURNS,"_ the dragon offered.

It was as good as he was going to get. "Done."

The dragon bared its teeth in what appeared to be a wide, evil smirk. _"AS IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE."_

Saïx glared.

_"COME, LUNA DIVINER."_

"My name is Saïx."

_"THAT'S A HATCHLING NAME, FOOL."_

"What's your name, then?" Saïx asked sourly.

The grin softened a little. _"I AM FLURRY OF DANCING FLAMES."_

"Can't say it's a pleasure."

_"LIKEWISE."_

Having watched this exchange with great interest, the hatchlings now ventured close again, their noses twitching curiously. _"So we can keep him?"_ the male asked.

_'Roxas,'_ Saïx thought. _'I can't continue to disregard their names.'_

_"FOR A LITTLE WHILE, YES."_

_"Yay!"_ The female - Xion - romped over and fluttered up to perch heavily on Saïx's back, her tail wrapping around his waist for extra security. _"I'm glad, Luna Diviner."_

"...I'll do my best," he said gloomily.

It was not nearly as bad as he expected. He did not mind that it was much more than seven months before Saïx the Luna Diviner was seen in the human realm again.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This wasn't supposed to be my first Kingdom Hearts dragon fic, dang it! It was supposed to be a different plot bunny I came up with months ago. Oh well.

Complete: 12/101. Next: "Black and White"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**12. Enemies [challenge version]**

Summary: Fortunately for Saïx, they have no idea that he is one of their natural enemies.

o.o.o

Saïx might be dour, but he was still a decent human being. Decent people didn't respond to being rescued from drowning by killing their rescuers, or ignoring their Puppy Eyes when cooking supper.

Saïx glared at the hatchlings. "Just because you saved my life doesn't mean I have to feed you."

_"Hungry,"_ the male said.

Saïx winced as the voice invaded his mind. "I don't care."

_"Food, please,"_ the female added.

"No."

They hunched lower, their tails wrapping uncertainly around their scaly bodies.

"Where is your dam?"

_"Dead."_

"What?"

_"Mama's dead."_

"...Who takes care of you?" Surely, they were too young to fend for themselves yet. That they had saved a human meant that they lacked at least one critical self-preservation skill.

_"Roxas, when's Papa coming back?"_

_"I don't know, Xion. Maybe he's dead, too."_

The female keened. The sound, piercingly lovely and filled with grief, struck Saïx to the heart. When he felt tears on his face, he snatched the roasting meat out of the fire, flung it at the hatchlings, and stormed away.

It was too dark to travel far. Saïx gave up and found a place to sleep, not complaining when the hatchlings found him again and curled up close, their body heat holding off the night's chill.

Morning dawned with a roar. Saïx jolted awake to the sight of a towering scarlet dragon, smoke billowing out between its fangs, emerald eyes aflame.

The ecstatic hatchlings leaped up.

_"Papa, you're back! Look at the funny animal we found!"_

_"He's tiny, but he's full-grown, and he talks."_

_"We named him Luna Diviner. Isn't he cute?"_

A firestorm descended. Saïx thought it was the end, but though he felt crushed and unbearably hot, it was not the agony he expected.

Saïx was still alive when the flames ceased. He opened his eyes. The hatchlings uncurled their wings from his body, and he realized with shock that they'd shielded him from death.

_"That was stupid!"_

_"You nearly killed him!"_

The adult dragon's voice thundered. _"GET AWAY FROM THE HUMAN."_

_"What human?"_

_"Luna Diviner's not human!"_

The hatchlings stared at Saïx in horror.

He stared back. And found himself saying to their betrayed expressions, "You and I are enemies."

They backed away. The keening began.

After they sang their grief, their sire lowered his head until he was uncomfortably close. Saïx knew the dragon was reading his scent. _"YOU WANT TO HURT MY HATCHLINGS."_

"Not anymore," Saïx said truthfully.

_"SHOULD I LET YOU LIVE?"_

"Your children did."

_"THEY DIDN'T KNOW BETTER."_

"Will you accept a bribe?"

_"...MAYBE."_

They regarded each other warily.

"I offer my service...for seven weeks."

_"YOU'RE MINE FOR SEVEN YEARS."_

"...What of the life and family I leave behind?"

_"ONLY DISCONTENT AND LONELINESS ARE IN YOUR SCENT."_

True. Still. Forced to serve dragons for seven _years_?

_"SEVEN MOON-TURNS,"_ the dragon offered.

"Done."

_"HEH, AS IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE."_

Saïx glared.

_"COME, LUNA DIVINER."_

"My name is Saïx."

_"THAT'S A HATCHLING NAME."_

"Then what's yours?" Saïx asked sourly.

_"I AM FLURRY OF DANCING FLAMES."_

"Can't say it's a pleasure."

_"LIKEWISE."_

The hatchlings' noses were twitching curiously. _"So we can keep him?"_ Roxas asked.

_"FOR A LITTLE WHILE."_

_"Yay!"_ Xion perched heavily on Saïx's back, her tail wrapping around his waist. _"I'm glad, Luna Diviner."_

Before seven months had passed, Saïx was in agreement.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This wasn't supposed to be my first Kingdom Hearts dragon fic, dang it! It was supposed to be a different plot bunny that I came up with and started writing months ago. Oh well.

Complete: 12/101. Next: "Black and White"


	13. Black and White (theme 13)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**13. Black and White**

Summary: Like anything else, time travel has its pros and cons.

A/N: Takes place during KH2.

333

Okay, so maybe it was a bad idea to go through the door just because he was curious about what was on the other side. But, hey, Sora was gallivanting around the Coliseum where Demyx was, which meant that Axel couldn't risk showing his face there yet. He also did not relish the thought of hanging out at their little campout in Agrabah, where Naminé was bored and was just going to Puppy Eyes him into posing for her sketches again. He needed a way to kill time until Demyx RTC'd, so why not spend it investigating this random door in Hollow Bastion that had popped out of nowhere?

BECAUSE SAÏX MIGHT BE WANDERING AROUND IN THERE, that's why.

"Holy flying cheese puffs, what are you doing here?"

Number VII and ex-Number-VIII stared at each other.

"I could ask you the same question," Saïx finally said.

"Well, you could also ask a different question," Axel offered. "Like, 'Hey, should I call you Axel or Lea now that you look like you're fourteen years old again?' I think that's a good question."

"Sometimes I can't tell whether you really are stupid, or if you're just pretending to be," Saïx said in disgust. "This world is obviously located in the past."

"Which would explain why everything's in black and white. So, Isa - you don't mind me calling you that, right? - do you think we've really got our hearts back, or do we just look like we do?"

"This would be far too easy a solution," Saïx grumbled.

"True that. You wanna test it, just to make sure? Call me a loser, or lame or laughable or something, and I'll see if I've got feelings to be hurt."

"Axel, surely you're aware that you've betrayed the Organization and I'm now obligated to destroy you?"

"Heh. With what, exactly?" Axel held out his arms. "Chakrams, I choose you!" Nothing happened. "See? No powers. Couldn't even light a birthday candle. I'll bet you 5,000 munny you couldn't go berserker on me here even if you stripped naked, killed a rabbit with your teeth and howled at the moon."

Saïx closed his eyes and tiredly pinched the bridge of his unscarred nose. "Leave it to you to complicate what was supposed to be a simple recon mission..."

"Always happy to oblige. So, Isa. There's something we need to talk about."

"No, we're not going to let you turn Sora back into a Nobody just so you can have your little pedo-bait back."

"Hey!"

"He's much more easy to manipulate as he is now."

"Think he'll still be that way when I tell him that you sinister black-coated villains are actually cheering on his valiant Heartless-slaying?"

"Axel," Saïx growled.

"Heh, drop that Don't-you-dare face, you can't pull rank on me anymore. I left the Organization, I can do what I want now. _And_ you don't even have an assassin to send after me, hah!"

"As soon as you set foot outside this world, you had best be watching your back."

"Love you too, Isa. So, up for some ice cream before we have to grow up and be jerks to each other again?"

"...Why is it always ice cream with you?"

"You'd prefer raw rabbit?"

"I'd prefer you to cease making unimaginative werewolf jokes."

"Can't help it, Mr. Berserker!"

"Not in this world."

"True. Here, I'll buy your ice cream to make it up to you."

"No, you'll buy my ice cream because you still owe me 5 munny."

"Flaming pants, that was from, like, six years ago! How do you still remember that!"

333

Author's Notes: Although they had temporarily regained their BBS appearances in Timeless River (though, technically, they probably should have been little kids...), they had their adult selves' memories and were still missing their hearts.

If you're not familiar with KH2 Final Mix, there's a scene where Axel, Riku, and Naminé are watching Sora, Donald, and Goofy take the train to Mysterious Tower from Twilight Town. At the end of it, Riku ends up letting the other two escape together, so presumably, Naminé's been hanging out with Axel during most of the game.

Heh, my research for this drabble involved skim-watching most of the KH2 cutscenes again, and of course I got deliciously distracted. I love Demyx so, SO MUCH in both languages, and Saïx has a lovely voice in Japanese, I wish I could find more than just the Final Mix additions for him. AXEL, YOU NEED TO EAT MORE. It is just not _healthy_ for a 25-year-old man to be that skinny.

Complete: 13/101. Next: "Chance Meeting"


	14. Chance Meeting (theme 14)

**Fire & Moonlight, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**14. Chance Meeting**

Summary: Bonding over literature.

A/N: Random modern AU.

333

The first time, it was just a chance meeting at a party where they happened to be the only teenagers. Axel was tired of adults gushing over how big he was, as if they expected him to stay the size of a little kid even after ten years or however long it had been since they'd supposedly last seen him.

Wandering around with a plateful of snacks in utter boredom, he caught sight of the blue-haired boy in a corner, and marched over without hesitation. "Hi. I'm Axel."

The boy made no response. He was curled up in an armchair with piles of schoolwork perched precariously around him, scribbling so furiously that he might not even have heard.

Axel finally picked up the copy of _Lord of the Flies_ that was teetering on the arm of the chair. "Hey, I know this book. My brother made me read it so I could do his homework for him."

The boy finally looked up at him with strange golden eyes through a pair of narrow-framed glasses. "How many reasons can you think of to support Simon being a Christ figure?"

Axel blinked. "Uh...what?"

"...I'll take that as zero." The boy flung down his pencil with a frustrated sigh. "I need a break."

"Great!" Axel shoved a pile of junk off the arm of the chair and plopped down on it comfortably.

"...That was my homework you just tossed halfway across the room."

"It was in my way, and it's not _halfway across the room._ Want a cookie?"

The other boy sighed. "Sure."

He reached out, but Axel abruptly held it farther away. "You can have it if you tell me your name."

The boy blinked. "Oh. It's Saïx."

"Cool." Axel handed the cookie over.

The next time, it was at school when the English teacher announced a transfer student. A blue-haired boy with golden eyes walked in and introduced himself, hesitantly met Axel's gaze, then smiled when Axel waved enthusiastically at the empty seat beside him.

"Now, class," the teacher declared once everyone was settled, "we're going to start a new literature unit today on a novel by William Golding, called _Lord of the Flies_."

"Aaahhh!"

"Is there a problem, Axel?" the teacher asked coldly.

"No," Axel groaned, as Saïx facepalmed beside him. "Just that me and Saïx here are gonna ace this unit, that's all..."

333

Author's Notes: This theme was really hard. I wrote, like, six or seven later drabbles while I was trying to figure out this one.

Complete: 14/101. Next: "Someone Like You"


	15. Someone Like You (theme 15)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**15. Someone Like You**

Summary: Axel returns from Castle Oblivion.

333

"Why didn't you report in?"

Axel turned away from his bedroom window. "You just interrupted my angsty moon-gazing, jerk."

"My heart bleeds for you," Saïx deadpanned. "Or it would, if I still had one, but I don't. Looks like you're out of luck."

"The ones out of luck are the rest of the C.O. team," Axel mused. "Toast, all of them."

"Yes, I know."

"Of _course_ you know," Axel said darkly. "You set us all up to get killed, didn't you."

"Had to find some way of getting rid of everyone in my way, didn't I?"

"Oh, so I'm _in your way_ now, is that it?" Axel growled.

"Trust me, if you were truly in my way, you would never have made it out of that castle alive."

Axel shook his head. "Man, only someone like you could send his best friend off to a hero-infested slaughterhouse and act like you're doing him a favor..."

"Just keep in mind that anyone else who tried half the things with me that you can get away with would get their heads ripped off," Saïx grumbled.

"Oh, like that really makes us even," Axel pouted.

"I would say so, yes."

"Good grief, Saïx, I'm not _that_ annoying, am I?"

"Hmmm, must I answer that...?"

"Oh, forget it. Thanks for making sure I came back from C.O. You happy now?"

"If I had a heart-"

"Blah, blah, blah."

"-then, yes, I would be quite pleased that you returned safely."

"...Oh. Well. I guess that's cool, then."

"Remember why we seek to build Kingdom Hearts," Saïx said softly.

"Or we could just hang around Roxas and Xion long enough, I'm starting to think that might eventually do the trick," Axel muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Whoo, Kingdom Hearts for the win."

"Now, about that report..."

333

Author's Notes: I had writer's block on this one for the longest time. Finally I decided to write _something_ just so I could get closer to all the other themes I've already drafted, so I ended up simply re-writing this scene from _358/2 Days_.

Complete: 15/101. Next: "Pearl" (a.k.a. "Squick")


	16. Pearl (theme 16)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**16. Pearl**

Summary: It's Saïx & Axel's turn to pick up some things from the store.

A/N: Umm...remember Marluxia's Chapter of Awkward in CatC? This is in a similar vein. I swear, I never used to write this kind of thing before CatC...

333

"How come we always end up on shopping duty together?" Axel complained as he tossed a cart in Saïx's direction and tugged free a second one for himself.

"That is simply how the rotation schedule works out."

"Roxas doesn't always go with Marluxia. And Xion's gone with Xaldin _and_ Demyx _and_ Lex-"

"_You_ make next year's rotation list, then," Saïx snapped.

"Come on, I was joking."

"I wasn't. I've got enough work to do without having to arrange shopping trips on top of it."

"Get Vexen to do it, then."

"I should."

They were inside the store by now, ignoring the other shoppers' strange looks. Since they regularly wandered around the universe wearing suspicious long black coats, they were quite used to being on the receiving end of strange looks. "You got the list?"

"Yes." Saïx handed it over.

"Lessee, bananas, fish crackers, noodles, spaghetti sauce, chocolate pie, party-sized box of ice cream bars...whatever; I'll just take this half of the list, and meet back up with you in a bit."

"Larxene added something, too," Saïx said tightly.

Axel paused. Then scanned down the list and smiled. The item in question was actually in Xion's handwriting, but he and Saïx had established the code phrase long ago, before Number XIV's initiation. "Yup, I see it. Looks like it's on your side of the list, though, so you can go ahead and take care of that."

"Axel," the berserker growled through gritted teeth.

"Heh heh, c'mon, Sai, it's not like you have a heart to actually get embarrassed with."

"I don't care about _buying_ them. It's the-"

"Choices, I know." Axel glanced over at the wall of feminine hygiene products. It seemed like the selection had grown vaster and more colorful since the last time they'd had to do this. "Hm...on second thought, maybe I don't blame you for needing help..."

They went over to inspect the array more closely. "We should probably get even more sizes than usual. Because if Larxene's also running low and forgot to put them on the list, she'll kill us for not reading her mind," Axel reasoned.

"Well, then," Saïx said in the sarcastic branch of his usual monotone, "shall we purchase the pink ones, the yellow ones, the scented ones, the unscented ones, or the ones with biodegradable applicators? And will this brand even do for our Organization's newest addition, or will she be requiring an entirely different product line?"

Axel groaned. It had taken long enough to memorize every single one of Larxene's specifications and preferences; adding Xion's on top of all that was going to be a pain. "At least Xion won't throw knives at us if we guess wrong...you know what, let's just buy one of everything."

"Two carts won't be big enough for that."

"Argh, you're right. Dang it, why do girls have to be so complicated!"

"And why do they have to...?" Saïx muttered, but then trailed off.

Axel grinned. "Not gonna finish that sentence, Sai?"

"No, I'm not. Get to work," Saïx grumbled, reaching for the closest package.

"Yeah, yeah." Axel started tossing colorful boxes into the carts. "Why do they call 'em Pearls, anyway? Is it really like sticking a pearl in-?"

"Are you seriously intending to finish that sentence, Axel?"

"Nope, just wondering how far I'd get before you stopped me..."

333

Author's Notes: This was originally one of my failed ideas for Theme 1. I'm pretty glad that it didn't work out, what a horrible introduction to the rest of the fic that would have been... I used to think this drabble was squicky, but later on I wrote another fic (not in this challenge) that kind of out-squicked me about this subject for life. -.-

I guess this is a universe where Saïx acknowledges Xion as a girl? And obviously it's a CatCish one where the Castle Oblivion team is dispatched at a later point in time than they are in canon.

Complete: 16/101. Next: "Gleam"


	17. Gleam (theme 17)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**17. Gleam**

Summary: Axel's worked for years to find this treasure trove. Perhaps what he ultimately ends up walking away with is even better...or perhaps not. Either way, his life is going to be a lot more interesting from now on.

A/N: Inspired by Disney's _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_.

o.o.o

Axel was so eager to get to the Core Room that he did not notice the reddish-brown marks until they were practically standing at the threshold. Then, as the other hunters swarmed inside, yelling in excitement, Axel paused and reached for the Diviner's bound hands, cradling them gently in his own. He did not miss the creature's flinch at his touch. "Why didn't you tell us you were bleeding?" he asked.

"Are you implying that you actually care?" was the low response.

Axel chuckled. "Surprisingly...yeah, I kinda do." He adjusted the restraints until they were a little looser, trying to squash down a slightly guilty feeling. It was just...really hard to stay businesslike sometimes, when the things looked so human.

"Hayes!" some of the others were yelling, along with a spew of impatient profanity. "Get the berserker in here!"

"Waiting a few seconds isn't gonna kill you!" he yelled back, with a few colorful additions of his own. "C'mon, Lu." He hauled the Diviner inside and glanced around at the bare gray interior, thinking that it didn't look anything like an ancient civilization's treasure trove. But then, that was kind of the point.

Feeling strangely uneasy at the hunters' yelling, their greedy impatience prompting at flood of insults at the Diviner, Axel dragged him - he couldn't help thinking of it as a 'him' - into the middle of the floor. "All right, Lu. Time to sing."

The Diviner was silent.

In a practiced, almost weary gesture, Axel took the creature's moonstone out of his pocket and squeezed it in gentle warning. The Diviner flinched, but maintained his silence. "Luna. Come on. I really don't like hurting you, but I will."

"Smash it, for all I care," the Diviner said shortly. "I'd rather die than let you creatures desecrate this place."

Axel blinked, vaguely aware of the increasing noisiness from the other hunters. "So you're digging your heels in, huh." Axel stepped closer and began to whisper into his ear. "What was it that friend of yours called you back there? The word for 'moon dancer' - Saïx, right?"

The Diviner's eyes closed in quiet defeat.

"Sia, sing the Song of Release," Axel tried. Then, when that didn't work, "Asi, sing the Song of Release. Isa, sing the Song of Release. Ia-"

The eerie sound of the Diviner singing in his own language filled the air. It was not particularly loud, but there was a sharp, alien tone to it that silenced the hunters' clamor. The floor and walls began to rumble as they shifted.

_'This is it,'_ Axel thought in excitement. _'What I've been living for these past five years - it's finally happening.'_ No more stealing, no more scrounging, no more hungry nights or fresh blood on his hands...

The once bare room was now growing full, full of the gleam of gold and the colors of Diviner art and the dark scent of ancient secrets. The hunters howled with selfish joy, whooping as they flung themselves to wallow in the lost treasures.

Axel was still watching Saïx. He would have been whooping and reveling with the rest of them, if he hadn't been so astonished to see what he had thought was impossible: Diviners could weep after all, just as they could apparently bleed. When the singing began again, Axel immediately guessed what it meant.

"G...Get out," he tried to say, his mouth suddenly dry. Then he tore his eyes away from the golden-eyed figure and bellowed at the men, "GET OUT! You're gonna die!" He might as well not have spoken, for all the attention they paid him. The gold in the corners of the room was starting to melt, and they didn't even notice.

It's not like he had meant to save the Diviner, it was just instinctive. Axel seized him by the hood and dragged him along as he ran for the exit, cursing the captive's stumbling, uneven gait. "Move, _move_, movemovemovemovefaster...!"

The air was growing hot as they fled down the corridor, and Axel winced as he heard screams starting up behind them. "This whole place is gonna be a lava pit before we even reach the path, _there_, argh, faster!" It was the side of the subterranean mountain they'd slipped and cursed their way down hours earlier. Axel could make it back up without the climbing equipment, probably, it'd just be ten times harder than it had been coming down-

"What are you doing?! Get going! The fire's coming!" The odor of burning rock stung his nose as he looked down at Saïx, who stood gazing up at him in almost disdainful fury. Then Axel swore explosively when he realized that the Diviner's arms were still bound, making it impossible for him to follow. "Why am I risking my neck for you?" Axel ranted as he slipped and slid his way down again, reaching out to rip off the restraints. "Now, c'mo-"

Terror surged through him and he _cursed_ himself for his stupidity, as the creature seized him by the throat the instant it was free. "Sa...ix..." He couldn't breathe. The Diviner's face was changing, eyes consumed in a mindless haze of yellow, mouth opening to roar and then bite his head off or whatever Diviners did when they went Berserk-

Everything went black.

When Axel woke up, he found himself lying in a field of flowers beneath a bright, cloudless blue sky. He choked and scrambled away when he realized that his killer was close by, but Saïx did not react to him at all. The Diviner simply continued to stand without moving, turned away, gazing up at the sky.

"Why are you in heaven?" Axel asked cautiously. Then he laughed. "Why am _I_ in heaven?" He'd fully expected to end up in the other place.

Then he realized that this was the field outside the ruins, the last place they had seen of the outside world before beginning their descent. They'd been underground so long, he'd forgotten. "Wait, so I'm _not_ dead?!" A Luna Diviner had had him at its mercy. How had he survived?

Saïx abruptly turned to face him. Cursing, Axel tried to run, but hands closed around his throat and he was seared by that baleful golden gaze. Yet though those hands held him captive, they allowed his breath to pass.

"Why you?" Saïx hissed. "All this time, after everything your race has done to me and my people, and it ends up being _you_?"

Axel had no idea what he was talking about. He was also preoccupied by the alterations to the Diviner's face: two small marks, one beneath each eye, like dark upside-down teardrops. "Where'd those tattoos come from?"

Saïx flung him back down and stalked a few paces away again, resuming his contemplation of the sky.

"Ow," Axel complained. "That hurt. And my face hurts, too." He paused. Two distinct spots of pain, actually; one under each eye. He had a sudden strong hunch that the Diviner was not the only one with an altered face. "Hey...Saïx...what happened back there?"

"A sacred place was profaned and purified, thirty-two of your fellow humans perished, and I gained a firestone." Saïx turned to face him again. Revealed the glimmering orange-red gem he held. Squeezed his fingers around it.

And Axel felt a sharp pain in his chest. He gasped for breath, then stared at Saïx in dawning horror. "You- you _made me a berserker_?"

"I was trying to kill you," Saïx said shortly. "I don't know what you are now. This has never happened with a human before. All I can do is keep your firestone away from you and hope that your lifespan hasn't increased along with your magic."

"What? I don't have any magic."

Saïx glared again.

"...You're saying I have magic." Thoughtfully, Axel pulled something out of his pocket. "I also still have a moonstone." He smiled ruefully. "Guess we're gonna get to know each other pretty well."

"Undoubtedly."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This theme is one of my favorites so far (including future ones that I've already drafted).

"Hayes" is my headcanon surname for Axel/Lea.

Complete: 17/101. Next: "In the Way"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**17. Gleam [challenge version]**

Summary: Axel's worked for years to find this treasure trove. Perhaps what he ultimately ends up walking away with is even better...or perhaps not. Either way, his life is going to be a lot more interesting from now on.

A/N: Inspired by Disney's _Atlantis: The Lost Empire_. **The short version of this is awful, I had to cut out too much to make the limit. :(**

o.o.o

As the other hunters swarmed into the Core Room, Axel reached for the Diviner's bound hands. "Why didn't you say you were bleeding?"

"You actually care?"

"...Yeah, I kinda do."

"Hayes!" the others were yelling in greedy impatience. "Get the berserker in here!"

"All right already!" he yelled back, hauling the Diviner into the bare gray interior. "All right, Lu. Time to sing."

The Diviner was silent.

Axel took the creature's moonstone out of his pocket and squeezed it, causing the Diviner to flinch. "Luna. Come on. I don't like hurting you, but I will."

"Smash it. I'd rather die than let you creatures desecrate this place."

"...Your real name is Saïx, right?"

"..."

"Sia, sing the Song of Release. Asi, sing the Song of Release. Isa, sing-"

The Diviner's eerie language silenced the hunters' clamor. The walls began to shift and rumble.

_'It's finally happening,'_ Axel thought.

The room filled with the gleam of gold, and the hunters howled joyfully as they wallowed in the ancient treasures.

Axel would've joined the others if he hadn't seen a golden tear slip from the Diviner's eye. When the singing began again, Axel guessed what it meant. He turned and bellowed at the men, "Get out! You're gonna die!" None of them listened, even when the gold in the room's corners began to melt.

Axel seized the Diviner and ran, cursing the captive's stumbling gait. "Move, _move_, movemovemovemovefaster...!"

The air grew hot as they fled down the corridor and screams started up behind them. "This whole place'll be a lava pit before we reach- _there_, argh, faster!" Axel could make it back up the subterranean mountainside without the climbing equipment, it'd just be harder than the descent-

"Hey, get going! The fire's coming!" The odor of burning rock stung his nose as he looked down. Then Axel, swearing when he realized the Diviner's arms were still bound, scrambled back to rip off the restraints. "C'mon-" The creature seized him the instant it was free. "Sa...ix..." He couldn't breathe. The Diviner's eyes were consumed in a mindless haze of yellow as he went Berserk-

Axel woke in a field of flowers. He gasped when he saw the Diviner - yet Saïx just stood gazing at the sky.

"Why are you in heaven?" Axel asked. Wait, this was the field outside the ruins. "I'm _not_ dead?!"

Saïx abruptly turned, seizing Axel by the throat. "Why you?" Saïx hissed. "All this time, after everything your race has done, it ends up being _you_?"

Axel was preoccupied by the Diviner's face: two small marks had appeared beneath each eye, like upside-down teardrops. "Where'd those tattoos come from?"

Saïx flung him back down and stalked away again.

"Ow! That hurt. My face hurts, too." Two distinct spots of pain - one under each eye. "...What happened back there?"

"I gained a firestone." Saïx revealed the gem he held, squeezing his fingers around it.

Axel felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he stared at Saïx in horror. "You- you _made me a berserker_?"

"I was trying to kill you. This has never happened with a human before. All I can do is keep your firestone away from you and hope your lifespan hasn't increased with your magic."

"What? I don't have magic."

Saïx glared.

"...You're saying I have magic." Axel pulled something out. "I also still have a moonstone. ...Guess we're gonna get to know each other pretty well."

"Undoubtedly."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Too much AU to cram into so few words, but the full version of this theme is one of my favorites so far (including future ones that I've already drafted).

"Hayes" is my headcanon surname for Axel/Lea.

Complete: 17/101. Next: "In the Way"


	18. In the Way (theme 18)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**18. In the Way**

Summary: Not a good idea to procrastinate when the boss gives orders.

A/N: This is during their second week in the Organization.

333

Saïx stepped through the eighth portal. Of _course_ Axel was playing a video game. "Lea, we've been summoned. I think we're supposed to be in the Round Room right now."

"Yeah, I know. Just a minute, I'm about to beat this boss," Axel said distractedly.

Saïx counted. Then he went and placed himself directly in front of the screen.

"ISA!" Axel shrieked. "Move! You're in the way!"

"It's been at least sixty seconds," Saïx informed him, a little smugly. "Now you have to pay attention to me."

"Argh! Get out of the way get out of the way get out of-!"

There was a sudden ripple in the fabric of the world, startling Axel into dropping the controller. A "GAME OVER" message appeared on the screen, but Axel's attention was now entirely fixed on the Sorcerers drifting toward him.

"Um," he said nervously, "yeah, a meeting, I'll be right there-" He yelped as row after row of red-tinged cubes suddenly assumed ominous formations.

"DON'T," Saïx thundered. He swept forward, raising an arm as if to strike the translucent red walls, but then uncurled his fist and laid his black-gloved palm against the wall instead. Axel's anxious face was visible, slightly distorted, through the barrier between them. "Trust me with my task," Saïx said, more calmly. "I'll get him to the Round Room."

For a few tense seconds, nothing happened. Then the Sorcerers withdrew a little, their translucent weapons re-forming behind them.

Axel gulped and scrambled to his feet. "Thanks, Isa," he whispered as he hurried for the door.

"Axel." Saïx caught him by the hood before he could get too far.

"What?" Axel cried frantically, eyeing the waiting Sorcerers.

Saïx raised an eyebrow and then his hand. A black portal appeared.

"Oh yeah. I forgot we can do that now."

"These corridors are the only way to _get_ to the Round Room, dope," Saïx reminded him.

Axel facepalmed. "I'm never gonna get used to being a Nobody..."

"Yes, you will. Come on." Saïx tugged his friend into the corridor, glaring at the Sorcerers over his shoulder until they vanished from sight.

333

Author's Notes: They haven't been Nobodies for very long, so they still think of themselves and each other by their human names. They only use their Nobody names when they're in public, at least until they get used to their new identities.

Complete: 18/101. Next: "Dark"


	19. Dark (theme 19)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**19. Dark**

Summary: Is it really so hard to keep the floor clear?

A/N: Random modern AU.

o.o.o

Saïx had listened to enough of his older sister's complaining to expect that college was going to be awful. He was surprised to find, when he got there, that he actually enjoyed the classes and schoolwork in a way he never had in high school.

No, the worst thing about college was his roommate.

"Axel, there is not a lot of space in here to begin with, and it doesn't help when you leave all those things lying on the floor."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll clean it up in a minute, just let me finish this level..."

When Saïx returned from class a couple of hours later, Axel was gone and the floor was, if anything, even messier than it had been before.

Or the several times Saïx came home to find their dorm room full of kids - lounging on the floor and both beds so that there was barely room to move, making even more of a mess than usual with their backpacks and games and videos and pizza boxes and sodas.

"Hey, Axel, there's some weirdo at the door," said the boy, who looked like he'd never figured out the function of a comb.

Axel swiveled around in the desk chair where he was messing with various power cords and multiple screens. "Oh - that's my roommate. Hey, Sai, hope you don't mind that I invited some friends over."

Saïx stared back in incredulity. The black-haired girl waved, and the blonde ducked her head with a shy smile. Not a single one of them looked older than fourteen. "Your _friends_?"

"Yeah, wanna join us?"

"...Axel, I'm going to the library, and I'll be taking dinner at the Pavilion. By the time I come back at 7:00, if this room, which will be spotless, is still occupied, you had better be the _only_ person in it. Otherwise, there is going to be an unpleasant confrontation."

"Ooooohhhh," the boy laughed, punching Axel teasingly in the shoulder while the dark-haired girl giggled.

As Saïx marched back out again, he could hear the blonde girl saying worriedly, "Axel, maybe we'd better go," but of course his roommate reassured her with an infuriatingly blithe, "Ah, don't worry about it. Sai's just a grouch, I can take care of him."

The dorm was empty at seven o'clock. It was also, however, covered with an inches-deep carpet of various objects, so that Saïx could not even see the floor. Disgustedly, he kicked everything to Axel's side of the room and started straightening up his own possessions, almost none of which were where he had left them.

At about one o'clock in the morning, he was awakened by the light being flipped on and Axel's loud cursing as he stumbled over the mountain of junk.

"Axel...seriously, do you even _notice_ me trying to sleep...?"

"How do you expect me to walk around in here when you shove everything to my side?!"

"Unbelievable. All that junk is _yours_ in the first place."

"It is not! We _share_ this dorm, yanno!"

Saïx got out of bed and began picking up various objects for presentation before tossing them aside again. "Notebook: yours. Hair gel bottle: yours. Phone charger: yours."

"OH! I've been looking for that!"

"Wristband: yours. Purple butterfly hairclip: definitely not mine."

"Oh yeah, Xion was saying she thought she mighta left that here."

"Uh huh. Ice cream coupon: yours. Colored pencils-"

"Geez, you need to lighten up, Saïx."

Piling stuff on Axel's bed only prompted him to commandeer Saïx's. Cleaning up after him only made things worse. Arguments got them in trouble with the dorm supervisor. Saïx finally just gave up and tried to adapt to living in a pigpen. The result was that his most important items and supplies migrated to his locker he'd started renting, and he pretty much never set foot in the dorm unless he had to sleep there.

One night, the power went out. Saïx managed to brush his teeth in the dark and then went to bed. Around midnight, he woke to the sound of cursing and stumbling sounds. "That you, Axel?" he called sleepily.

"Argh, first my phone dies and now _this_! None of the lights work!"

"Power outage."

There was a tremendous crash. Saïx casually reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. The dim blue glow revealed Axel sprawled amongst the heap of books, videos, games, dirty laundry, and everything else that had accumulated on the floor over time. "Might want to watch your step," Saïx drawled.

Axel only groaned in response. Saïx closed his phone again, set it back on the nightstand, and went to sleep.

When he came back home from the library the next evening, the floor was spotless.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: My original idea for this theme ended up not suiting the series for a couple of reasons, so I posted it separately as _When The Lights Go Out_. I couldn't think of anything good as a substitute...at least this is a college AU rather than yet another high school one. :/

Oh Axel, you and your kiddos...just one of the many, many reasons you need a Saïx in your life. *sweatdrop*

Not sure how common knowledge this is, but even though everyone has lockers in high school, not many people use them in college.

Complete: 19/101. Next: "No"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**19. Dark [challenge version]**

Summary: Is it really so hard to keep the floor clear?

A/N: Random modern AU.

o.o.o

Judging by his sister's complaining, Saïx expected college to be awful. He was surprised to find, when he got there, that he actually enjoyed classes in a way he never had in high school.

The worst thing about college was his roommate.

"Axel, there's not much space in here to begin with, and it doesn't help when you leave all that stuff lying on the floor."

"Yeah...I'll clean it up, just let me finish this level..."

When Saïx returned from class a couple of hours later, Axel was gone and the floor was even messier than before.

Or the times Saïx would find their dorm room full of kids - lounging around so that there was barely room to move, their backpacks, entertainment, and snacks making even more of a mess than usual.

"Hey, Axel, there's some weirdo at the door," said the boy, who looked like he'd never used a comb in his life.

Axel swiveled from where he was messing with power cords and multiple screens. "Oh - that's my roommate. Hey, Sai, hope you don't mind that I invited some friends over."

Saïx stared. The black-haired girl waved, and the blonde ducked her head with a shy smile. None of them looked older than fourteen. "Your _friends_?"

"Yeah, wanna join us?"

"...Axel, I'm going to the library. I'll be back at 7:00. This room WILL be tidy and unoccupied by anyone but yourself. Otherwise, prepare for an unpleasant confrontation."

"Ooooohhhh," the boy laughed, while the dark-haired girl giggled.

Saïx marched out, hearing the blonde girl say, "Axel, maybe we'd better go," but she was only answered with a blithe, "Don't worry about it, Sai's just a grouch."

The dorm was empty at 7:00. It also had so many objects strewn about that Saïx couldn't even see the floor. Disgustedly, he kicked everything to Axel's side of the room and started straightening up his own possessions, almost none of which were where he'd left them.

At about 1:00 a.m., the light flipped on and Axel cursed loudly as he stumbled over the mountain of junk.

"Axel...do you even _notice_ me trying to sleep...?"

"How do you expect me to walk around when you shove everything to my side?!"

"All that is _yours_ in the first place."

"It is not! We _share_ this dorm, yanno!"

Saïx got out of bed and began picking up various objects for presentation before tossing them aside. "Notebook: yours. Hair gel: yours. Phone charger: yours."

"OH! I've been looking for that!"

"Wristband: yours. Butterfly hairclip: definitely not mine."

"Oh yeah, Xion was saying she thought she mighta left that here."

"Uh huh. Ice cream coupon: yours. Colored pencils-"

"Geez, you need to lighten up, Saïx."

Piling stuff on Axel's bed only prompted him to commandeer Saïx's. Cleaning up after him only made things worse. Arguments got them in trouble with the dorm supervisor. Saïx finally gave up and moved the most important things to his locker, almost never setting foot in the dorm unless he had to sleep there.

One night, the power went out. Saïx woke to the sound of cursing and stumbling in the dark. "Argh, why do none of the lights work!?"

There was a crash. Saïx reached for his cell phone and flipped it open. The blue glow revealed Axel sprawled amongst the heap of textbooks, videos, games, dirty laundry, and everything else that had accumulated over time. "Might want to watch your step," Saïx drawled.

Axel groaned. Saïx closed his phone and went back to sleep.

When he came home the next evening, the floor was spotless.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: My original idea for this theme ended up not suiting the series for a couple of reasons, so I posted it separately as _When The Lights Go Out_. I couldn't think of anything good as a substitute...at least this is a college AU rather than yet another high school one. :/

Oh Axel, you and your kiddos...just one of the many reasons you need a Saïx in your life. *sweatdrop*

Not sure how common knowledge this is, but even though everyone has lockers in high school, not many people use them in college. Therefore, they're not automatically assigned, you have to rent if you want one.

Complete: 19/101. Next: "No"


	20. No (theme 20)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**20. No**

Summary: They did try, especially in the beginning.

A/N: They're both 15 here, at least as far as I can tell from the vague canon timeline.

o.o.o

His arms were being crushed as the Heartless held him suspended in the air, and he could feel blood running down his side. Yet all that filled his thoughts was the sound of Lea's screams from whatever was happening on the other side where he couldn't see, drowning out even his preoccupation with the pain.

Nothing. Nothing. There was a blank where there should be panic, calm where there should be desperation. Yet he did not think of himself as Saïx, he was determined to be Isa, and he still knew exactly how Isa would feel, what Isa would do. "Let me go! Lea! LEA!"

"ISA!"

That did it. The terror and agony in his friend's voice, feigned though it may be, was enough. Isa felt his eyes growing hot, his body starting to writhe with a surge of energy. "Haaaaahhhhh!"

The next few minutes were hazy. He knew he had broken free, was vaguely aware that he was fighting, dimly registered the screeching of the Heartless. Yet he could not have said what his moves were, where anything was, why he was fighting, even his own name. What he heard, what he saw and felt, was the moonlight, filling his veins and infecting his brain with its intoxicating sweetness. This frenzy was the only time he could _feel_. The only, only precious thing he had now, no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise.

Fatigue swept over him; he slumped there, unable to react even when the Heartless retaliated, knocking him back with its claws. He fell to the ground, thinking vaguely that he ought to get up, realizing dimly that he was hurting, but it was so hard to think, he just wanted to kneel here in this stupor forever...

The moonlight began to tug at him, drawing him back to his feet. Energy returned, building through him. He swept up his weapon instinctively, blocking the monster's next blow. _'Ah...I'm not...finished...I need to...fight...'_ The frenzied tide rose steadily within him. _'Kill it.'_ He would surrender himself to pure destruction until there was nothing left.

When he came to, he was slumped against a wall, feeling too sore to move. Every inch of his body hurt, but as he idly watched a large wisp of darkness fade into nothing, the Isa part of him noted that he should be very satisfied that this was all that remained of the Heartless he had been fighting.

The Isa part of him was also freaking out about something that it thought was far more important than the Heartless.

_'What could be more important than the fact that I triumphed over my enemy?'_ Saïx mused. Then he remembered. "Oh yes. Lea." No, that wasn't right. Saïx frowned, then made himself gasp and widen his eyes. "Lea! _Lea!_" That was better. "Lea, where are you?!"

"Here..."

Saïx crawled over, forcing himself to make it all the way there rather than stopping to try to recover first. _'If I'm concerned for my best friend, I should put him before anything else.'_ It was annoying that he had to _remind_ himself of what had once been instinctive.

Lea lay in a pool of blood, watching him with eyes that had gone filmy with pain. "I...Isa..."

"I have a Potion left. Here." Saïx - _Isa_ - found the healing draught, having to lift Lea in his arms to let him drink it. He watched as the blood stopped flowing, as Lea sighed and his face, tight with pain, began to relax. "Better?"

"Still feel like crap," Lea mumbled. "Think I can stand up, though." He smiled a little. "Help me."

They managed to get to their feet, leaning on each other, too battered to stand on their own.

"Think we can make it back to the castle?" Lea asked weakly.

"Together, we can."

"We have to keep together," Lea murmured. "Always, Isa. Got that memorized?"

"Of course I do."

"Mm. It's just...sometimes you worry me..."

"Lea." Their eyes met. "We made a promise. I'm not going to be the one to break it."

"Heh, you think I am?"

"If you do, you'll regret it." Isa raised his hand to open a corridor of darkness, to the castle he would never think of as home.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I had a hard time with this one...the basic premise came to me pretty quickly, but then it refused to solidify. Finally, I just started typing and hoped that inspiration would come to me on the way. The real version of this actually turned out to be "Laugh."

Btw, they're Nobodies here, it's just that they've been turned so recently that they still think of themselves as "Isa" and "Lea."

This was supposed to be Theme 5, dang it! But then I couldn't figure out how to connect it to "Flawed," so finally I hunted through the other themes and turned it into "No" instead. DX

Complete: 20/101. Next: "Empty"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**20. No [challenge version]**

Summary: They did try, especially in the beginning.

A/N: They're both 15 here, at least as far as I can tell from the vague canon timeline.

o.o.o

His arms were being crushed as the Heartless held him, and he could feel blood running down his side. Yet his thoughts were filled with the sound of Lea's screams from the other side where he couldn't see.

There was a blank where there should be panic, calm instead of desperation. Yet he didn't think of himself as Saïx, he was determined to be Isa, and he knew how Isa would feel. "Let me go! Lea!"

"ISA!"

The terror and agony in his friend's voice, even if feigned, was enough. Isa's eyes grew hot as a rush of energy filled his body. "Haaaaahhhhh!"

Things went hazy. He had broken free and was vaguely aware of fighting, dimly registering the Heartless's screeching. Yet he could not have said what his moves were, where anything was, why he was fighting, or even his own name. What he heard, what he saw and felt, was the moonlight, filling his veins and infecting his brain with its intoxicating sweetness. This frenzy was the only time he could _feel_. The only, only precious thing he had now, no matter how much he tried to pretend otherwise.

Fatigue swept over him and he slumped over, unable to react when the Heartless knocked him back. He thought that he ought to get up, realized dimly that he was hurting, but it was so hard to think, he just wanted to kneel here in this stupor forever...

The moonlight tugged at him, drawing him back to his feet. His energy began to rebuild. He swept up his weapon instinctively, blocking the monster's next blow. _'I'm not...finished. I need to...fight...'_ The frenzied tide rose steadily within him. He would destroy blindly until there was nothing left.

When he came to, he was slumped against a wall, too sore to move. His entire body hurt, but as he watched a wisp of darkness fade into nothing, the Isa part of him noted the Heartless's elimination with satisfaction.

The Isa part of him was also freaking out about something it thought was far more important than the Heartless.

_'What could be more important than victory?'_ Saïx mused. Then he remembered. "Oh, yes. Lea." No, that wasn't right. Saïx frowned, then made himself gasp and widen his eyes. "Lea! _Lea!_" That was better. "Lea, where are you!?"

"Here..."

Isa crawled over, fighting the impulse to recover first. _'If I'm concerned for my best friend, I should put him before anything else.'_ It was wrong that he had to _remind_ himself of what had once required no thought.

Lea lay in a pool of blood, watching him with eyes that had gone filmy with pain. "I...Isa..."

"I have a Potion left. Here." Saïx - _Isa_ - found the healing draught, having to lift Lea in his arms to let him drink it. He watched as the injuries disappeared, as Lea sighed and his face, tight with pain, began to relax. "Better?"

"Still feel like a wreck," Lea mumbled. "Think I can stand up, though." He smiled a little. "Help me."

They managed to get to their feet, leaning on each other, too battered to stand on their own.

"Think we can make it back to the castle?" Lea asked weakly.

"Together, we can."

"We have to keep together," Lea murmured. "Always, Isa. Got that memorized?"

"Of course."

"Mm. It's just...sometimes you worry me..."

"Lea. We made a promise. I'll never be the one to break it."

"Heh, you think I am?"

"If you do, you'll regret it." Isa opened a dark corridor to the castle he would never think of as home.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I had a hard time with this one...the basic concept came to me pretty quickly, but then it refused to solidify. Finally, I just started typing and hoped that inspiration would come to me on the way. The real version of this actually turned out to be "Laugh."

Btw, they're Nobodies here, it's just that they've been turned so recently that they still think of themselves as "Isa" and "Lea."

This was supposed to be Theme 5, dang it! But then I couldn't figure out how to connect it to "Flawed," so finally I hunted through the other themes and turned it into "No" instead.

Complete: 20/101. Next: "Empty"


	21. Empty (theme 21)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**21. Empty**

Summary: People have different ways of seeing the world.

333

Axel came marching into the Grey Area that evening with a glass of water in his hands, trailed, as usual, by the Organization's two youngest members. "Here, I'll show you," he was saying over his shoulder. He stopped in front of Saïx and thrust the glass of water at him. "Saïx," he asked grandly, "is this glass half-full, or half-empty?"

Saïx looked at the glass. Then he looked at the curious Keybearers. "It's half-full," he said defiantly.

Axel looked taken aback. "What?"

"Are you kidding?" Demyx yelled from across the room. "That thing's practically empty!" He pointed his finger, and the glass's contents suddenly bubbled with increasing volume until Axel had water slopping over his hands. "There," Demyx said in satisfaction.

There was a long pause. "I don't get it," Roxas said.

"Yeah," Xion added, "I thought you said Saïx was gonna be the half-empty one, and Demyx was gonna be the half-full one."

"Argh!" Axel threw his hands up in the air, tossing the glass as he did so. "I give up. Consider this particular life lesson a fail." He stalked off in a huff.

Saïx, now dripping wet as the empty glass rolled to a stop by his foot, repressed a sigh and summoned his claymore.

"Axel," Roxas called, "you'd better check your panel arrangement, it looks like you're about to have a boss battle..."

333

Author's Notes: Yay, super-short and therefore free of stress.

Complete: 21/101. Next: "Planet"


	22. Planet (theme 22)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**22. Planet**

Summary: As long as we're breaking into the place for food, we might as well try out some of the games while we're at it. Of _course_ the games aren't the real reason I suggested going there, why would you say that?

A/N: They might be 22 or 23 here, I'm not sure.

o.o.o

Saïx was still sitting up in bed, trying to muster the energy to blink the sleep out of his eyes and stand up, when someone came into his room.

"Ugghh, I _hate_ waking up early...how do you do this every single day?"

Saïx stared. "...Axel?"

"Mornin'."

"What...in the worlds are you doing conscious at 5:05 a.m.?"

"Got the memo." Axel threw himself across the bed and grabbed a pillow, burying his face in it. "Wanna go back to sleeeeppp..."

Saïx sighed and finally managed to get to his feet. "You _need_ to go back to sleep. You're being even less coherent than usual."

Axel rolled over onto his back. "I am not," he grumbled. "We're having a meeting today, right?"

"Yes, in a couple of hours."

"Exactly. _So_, seeing as how you're saddling us with a ludicrously early meeting on top of the usual work day-"

"Lord Xemnas set the time, not me."

"-I say you have to make it up to us somehow."

Saïx frowned. "You had better not have anything ridiculous in mind," he warned as he pulled a fresh coat out of his closet.

Axel sat up again. "Food, Saïx," he clarified. "You owe us breakfast."

Saïx paused. "You don't mean like..." After a moment, he chuckled softly. "How long has it been since the last taco run?"

"WAY TOO LONG. And since I _did_ bother to wake up this early and we _are_ taking the trouble to go offworld, might as well have some extra fun while we're at it, huh?"

"Axel-"

"Pizza run this time. You know where."

Saïx closed his eyes, knowing that he should be irritated but that Isa would have been amused. Since he had no actual emotions himself, he was free to pick either option. "Axel, I need to prepare for the meeting. We are _not_ going to waste two hours breaking into Pizza Planet outside of business hours just to play games designed for children and bring back pizza for the rest of the Organization-"

"Isa, shut up and put your boots on, we're leaving in three minutes."

'Free to pick,' hah. As if he ever had a choice about this kind of thing when Axel was around.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: A "taco run," at least the way my high school classmates defined it, was when one or two people would volunteer to go buy tacos (or other munchies) for the rest of the group at lunch, the morning before a major exam, student-led meetings or study groups, etc. I feel the need to explain this, since Google apparently defines it differently. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 22/101. Next: "Moonlight"


	23. Moonlight (theme 23)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**23. Moonlight**

Summary: Tinker Bell calls in her favor.

A/N: Sequel to "In the Sky." Inspired by the spinoff film _Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure_, though I had to AU a couple of things to make it fit.

o.o.o

OF COURSE she'd have to call in her favor with horrible timing. As soon as Saïx realized what was happening, he stumbled out of the shower and seized a towel, managing to wrap it around his waist just before he vanished out of the Bathroom That Never Was.

He rematerialized in Never Land, still soaking wet, mostly naked, and kind of wishing that he was still capable of getting ticked off.

He was in some sort of cave, and two pixies were tinkling wildly in their bell-like language, Tinker Bell and an alarmed-looking male companion. As Tinker Bell appeared to argue with or explain something to her friend, Saïx looked around to assess his situation more thoroughly. The cave was pitch-dark except for the distant entrance, the pixies' bright golden glow, and a tiny green beam emanating from a firefly. There was also a cluster of tiny illuminated blue shards below the firefly's perch, lying beside a set of fairy-sized tools, as well as something that looked like a scepter.

Tinker Bell suddenly zipped in front of his face, demanding something. "I am, of course, existing here solely to serve you," he said very dryly. "However, I'm afraid I have no idea what you're saying or what you want of me."

That made her angry. More tinkling and gesticulating; then she rushed to seize one of the glowing blue shards and presented it as if he was supposed to know what it meant. "Sorry. Still drawing a blank."

Several failed attempts at communication later, when she looked frustrated enough to peck his eyes out, the sparrowman finally tried drawing pictures with charcoal.

"You want me to produce artificial moonlight for you?" Saïx realized.

They flew in ecstatic circles around his head.

"Very well."

o.o.o.o.o

Axel came yawning into the Grey Area to find most of the Organization gathered together, conversing with each other in puzzled voices. Which was odd for two reasons - first of all, the Organization was pretty much never all together except during meetings. Second of all, the Organization members didn't talk _together_. Axel and the kids were the only ones with close relationships, and castle gossip tended to pass along from one to another rather than in group sessions.

"Hey, here's someone who might know," Xigbar was saying when he saw Axel come in.

"What's up?" Axel asked.

"Axel!" Roxas and Xion hurried over to him at once. "No one knows where Saïx is! We don't know what to do for our missions."

"That's fantastic," he said sincerely. "I'm going back to bed."

"Axel!"

"It's not a vacation day!"

"Sign probably fell off the wall and got lost in the shuffle somewhere."

"Axellllll...!"

o.o.o.o.o

He was freezing cold and his backside hurt from sitting in a cave all day wearing nothing but a bath towel; all he'd had to eat were the nuts and berries the sparrowman had brought him for lunch an hour ago, his arm ached from having to hold it up for so long; and worst of all, an _entire day_. Losing an _entire day's work_, without even getting to notify Lord Xemnas..._argh_.

_'Was it worth it?'_ Saïx thought. _'One magical flight among the stars can't have been worth this.'_

...He could not convince himself of that, for some reason.

He was startled at a sudden flash of light. His arm wavered, and Tinker Bell raged at him. The sparrowman hurriedly fluttered up to steady Saïx's palm and the shining ball of moonlight resting within it.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Tinker Bell lifted the scepter once again. She and her friend had been doing that all day, working furiously by fireflylight, adjusting the blue shards on the scepter and holding it up in the moonlight, making frustrated sounds, then going back for more adjustments. Over and over and over. And over. And over.

This was the first time there had been a reaction.

As the fairies' apprehension filled the atmosphere, Tinker Bell carefully maneuvered the scepter's shards back into the moonlight, carefully positioning it.

The cave seemed to flood with beams of blue light. The sparrowman zoomed wildly about in a dance of joy; Tinker Bell, as soon as she had very, very carefully set the scepter in its stand, flew up to join him.

"May I lower my arm now?" Saïx asked pointedly. He almost, _almost_, remembered what it was like to be shocked when Tinker Bell rushed straight at his face and kissed him.

o.o.o.o.o

Lesser Nobodies could be so _stupid_. Stranded in Never Land, Saïx had been forced to summon some Berserkers and order them to fetch a coat. They had brought him one of Axel's, for some reason. As soon as he realized that the zipper teeth refused to come within _inches_ of each other, Saïx claymored the Berserkers for their incompetence, having zero patience left after everything else that had happened. Then he decided that he had better not risk trusting the lesser Nobodies again and having something worse go wrong, so he opened a dark portal, hoping that the coat's protection would be enough even though he couldn't fully enclose himself in it.

A group of Dusks and Sorcerers seized him as soon as he set foot in the castle, dragging him straight into another dark corridor and depositing him on his throne in the Round Room. Where apparently a full meeting was in session.

"...because I'll probably be best at finding him, so yeah, I volunteer." Axel had been the one speaking, but now everyone was, understandably, staring at the new arrival. Saïx crossed his arms and _dared_ anyone to comment on the bath towel and undersized coat.

"Saïx, why in the worlds are you wearing that?" Roxas wondered.

"Hey, look!" Axel said brightly before a claymore could be summoned, "I found Saïx! So, Sai, do my mission rewards get quadrupled since I finished it so quickly?"

_'...And yet somehow,'_ Saïx thought, _'_somehow_, it was still worth it. I do not understand.'_

o.o.o

Author's Notes: The only thing that makes the second Tinker Bell movie worth watching is Jesse McCartney, but I saw how the plot could be useful for this drabble.

*spoiler alert* In _lost Treasure_, Tink is entrusted with the honor of crafting this year's scepter for an annual autumn festival in Pixie Hollow. The scepter is supposed to hold a treasured moonstone that will refresh the fairies' supply of pixie dust when used under certain conditions. While in the process of constructing the scepter, Tink accidentally shatters the irreplaceable moonstone. In the end, she and her friend Terence (a sparrowman [male pixie] who has the same voice as Roxas and the same face as Peter Pan XD) figure out that they can use the shattered pieces to actually greatly enhance the moonstone's power, so that it's much more effective than it was when it was whole.

The AU bits are that the movie actually takes place before Tink meets Peter, and also that Tink and Terence fixed the staff en route to the festival before making a dramatic last-second entrance, rather than working on it in a cave closer to home and having the means to test it before the festival.

Complete: 23/101. Next: "Lost"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**23. Moonlight [challenge version]**

Summary: Tinker Bell calls in her favor.

A/N: Sequel to "In The Sky." Inspired by the spinoff film _Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure_, though I had to AU a couple of things to make it fit.

o.o.o

OF COURSE she called in her favor with horrible timing. Saïx stumbled out of the shower and seized a towel just before vanishing.

He rematerialized in Neverland, still soaking wet, mostly naked, and wishing he could still get ticked off.

Tinker Bell and an alarmed-looking male companion were trilling in their bell-like language. The cave was pitch-dark except for the distant entrance, the pixies' bright glow, and a firefly's tiny beam. There was also a cluster of illuminated blue shards below the firefly's perch, beside a set of fairy-sized tools and something that looked like a scepter.

Tinker Bell zipped demandingly at Saïx's face. "Of course I exist at the moment solely to serve you," he said dryly. "However, I'm afraid I have no idea what you're saying."

More agitated tinkling and gesticulating, then she seized a glowing shard and presented it as if he was supposed to know what it meant. "Sorry. Still drawing a blank."

Finally, when she looked frustrated enough to peck Saïx's eyes out, the sparrowman drew charcoal pictures.

"You want me to produce artificial moonlight for you?" Saïx realized.

Hours later, he was shivering and achy from sitting in a cave all day wearing only a towel. All he'd eaten were the nuts and berries the sparrowman had brought him, his arm hurt from holding it up so long, and also, an _entire day_. Losing an _entire day's work_ so unexpectedly...argh.

_'One magical flight among the stars...was it worth it?'_

There was a sudden flash of light. Saïx's arm wavered, and Tinker Bell raged at him. The sparrowman hurriedly steadied Saïx's palm and the shining ball of moonlight resting above it.

Taking a deep breath, Tinker Bell lifted the scepter again. She and her friend had been doing that all day, working furiously by fireflylight, adjusting the blue shards and holding the scepter up, making frustrated sounds, then going back for more adjustments. Over and over and over.

This was the first time there had been a reaction.

Clearly apprehensive, Tinker Bell carefully maneuvered the scepter's shards back into the moonlight.

The cave was flooded with beams of light. The sparrowman zoomed about joyfully; Tinker Bell, as soon as she had very cautiously set the scepter down, followed suit.

"May I lower my arm now?" Saïx asked pointedly. He almost, _almost_, remembered what it was like to be shocked when Tinker Bell rushed at his face and kissed him.

o.o.o.o.o

Stranded in Neverland, Saïx ordered some Berserkers to fetch a coat. They brought one of Axel's. As soon as he saw that the zipper teeth refused to come within _inches_ of each other, Saïx claymored the creatures for their incompetence. Deciding he'd better not risk trusting lesser Nobodies again and having something worse go wrong, he opened a dark portal, hoping the coat's incomplete protection would be enough.

A group of Dusks seized him as soon as he stepped into the castle, dragging him away and depositing him on his throne in the Round Room. Where apparently a full meeting was in session.

"...because I'll probably be best at finding him, so yeah, I volunteer." Axel had been speaking, but now everyone was staring at the new arrival. Saïx glared, _daring_ anyone to comment on the towel and ill-fitting coat.

"Saïx, what happened to your clothes?" Roxas wondered.

"Hey, look!" Axel said brightly before a claymore could be summoned, "I found Saïx! So, Sai, do my mission rewards get quadrupled since I finished so quickly?"

_'...And yet, somehow,'_ Saïx thought, _'it was still worth it. I don't understand.'_

o.o.o

Author's Notes: The only thing that makes the second Tinker Bell movie worth watching is Jesse McCartney, but I saw how the plot could be useful for this drabble.

*spoilers* In _Lost Treasure_, Tink is entrusted with the honor of crafting this year's scepter for an annual autumn festival in Pixie Hollow. The scepter is supposed to hold a treasured moonstone that will refresh the fairies' supply of pixie dust when used under certain conditions. While in the process of constructing the scepter, Tink accidentally shatters the irreplaceable moonstone. In the end, she and her friend Terence (a sparrowman [male pixie] who has the same voice as Roxas and the same face as Peter Pan XD) figure out that they can actually use the shattered pieces to greatly enhance the moonstone's power, so that it's much more effective than it was when it was whole.

*spoilers continued* The AU bits are that the movie actually takes place before Tink meets Peter, and also that in canon, Tink and Terence fix the scepter en route to the festival before making a dramatic last-second entrance. I changed it so that they're working on the scepter in a cave closer to home and, courtesy of Saïx, have the means to test their idea before the festival.

Sadly, there wasn't a lot of Axel in this one to begin with, but I still had to cut out nearly all his screentime to shorten it to the right length.

Complete: 23/101. Next: "Lost"


	24. Lost (theme 24)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**24. Lost**

Summary: Saïx loses something very important to Axel.

o.o.o

The Grey Area was fairly lively most evenings between 6:00 and 8:00, since everyone was usually home by that time, were finishing dinner, and the more social members congregating together so they'd have something better to do with their time than go straight to bed.

A dark portal materialized near the head of the room.

"Hey, it's the vice-Superior!" Xigbar called from where he was playing cards with Luxord and Marluxia. "Are you seriously just now RTCing? You _do_ realize we don't get paid for overtime, right?"

"We don't get paid at all," Marluxia pointed out.

Ignoring them, Saïx made his way over to where Axel was pulling a munny orb out from behind Xion's ear. "Girl, you need to wash behind your ears more."

"How are you _doing_ that?!" Xion shrieked in mystified delight, rubbing her fingers over her ears as if she expected to find more munny there.

Saïx came to a stop behind the couch Number VIII was lounging on. "Axel," he said in a low voice. "I need to talk to you."

Axel glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, hey, Saïx. Where's Roxas?"

Saïx folded his arms and looked away. "That's what I need to talk to you about," he said through gritted teeth.

Xion's eyes widened. Axel turned all the way around so that he was kneeling backwards on the couch, eyes narrowed in a glare. "You and Roxas were partners on today's mission, right? _Where is he?_"

"I'll _discuss_ this matter with you once we're in _private_," Saïx ground out.

The rest of the Organization was starting to look a little too interested in their conversation, so Axel grabbed Xion's hand, shoved Saïx into a dark corridor, and sent the three of them to his room. Where he poised a chakram at the Luna Diviner's throat and growled, "TALK."

Saïx sighed heavily. "We went to Atlantica for recon, but were caught off guard by that octopus-woman. At some point during the boss battle, my _partner_ fell into a shelf right over the return point and broke half the bottles. I think the potions must have sullied the portal, since the corridor seemed distorted afterwards, and I lost track of Roxas on the way home. Not to mention that I ended up on the ceiling of a cottage in Wonderland at the end, rather than at the castle."

"So what happened to him?" Axel and Xion demanded in unison.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. I've _searched_. For hours." The _I don't know_ part was unspoken but clear.

"Nice to know you care," Axel growled, dismissing his weapon and opening another corridor.

"Lord Xemnas will be quite displeased to hear that we're missing a valuable Keybearer," Number VII said in his haughtiest tone.

"Saïx, shut up."

Roxas was in none of the known worlds. So then they pressed on and discovered new ones. Saïx dutifully took out his clipboard, but didn't say a word when Axel ripped it out of his hands and tossed it off the side of Notre Dame cathedral.

By what must have been nearly eleven o'clock in the evening back home, though this world was full of bright afternoon sunshine, they found a clue: some excited teenagers talking about "that cute new freshman with spiky hair and blue eyes."

Axel swerved mid-step and made a beeline for the speakers, a group of girls eating lunch at a table in the courtyard, but Saïx quickly caught his arm. "I _told_ you, you're too old to be pouncing on random cute things," he growled.

"You think I care about new ones when one of my favorites is in trouble?!"

"I'm _telling_ you," Saïx said in an exasperated tone, "there are certain appearances to keep up." He nodded at their younger companion. "Number XIV is small. There's a much better chance of people assuming Xion belongs here."

"Oh." Axel stooped so he could gaze into his young friend's eyes. "Xi," he said anxiously, "hey, can you go over to those girls and ask them if they've seen Roxas?"

"Of course!" She only hadn't earlier because their talk about 'cute things' confused her.

Xion went over to the girls, wishing she was wearing something more like what they were, instead of this ominous black coat that seemed to stick out more than usual here. "Hi."

The girls all gave her dubious looks.

"Um...I'm looking for a friend of mine, his name is Roxas. I think you might have been talking about him earlier."

A few minutes later, the trio was heading purposely for the school auditorium. "This really takes me back," Axel murmured as they moved down the halls.

"All well and good for you," Saïx grumbled. "I do not have overly fond memories of high school..."

"What's high school?" Xion asked curiously.

Roxas was onstage, singing a duet with a pretty blonde girl, sounding surprisingly good despite the fact that he seemed alarmed by her aggressively flirty dance moves.

"He's okay!" Xion cried gladly. Then, "Axel? That looks fun, can I sing and dance, too?"

"Um...sure, go ahead."

"No," Saïx said firmly. "We are retrieving our thirteenth member and returning home at once."

"No," Axel countered, "we are staying until the kids finish enjoying themselves, or I'll tell that lady in charge about you placing first in the Garden's last vocal competition."

Xion looked from one to the other. "What's a vocal competition?"

Saïx silently stalked into an aisle and sat down, crossing his arms in a clear "I am sulking" pose.

"Sorry, Xi, looks like I can't tell you," Axel grinned. "Go on and give Roxas a hand." She smiled back and scampered off. Axel sat down beside Saïx, resting his arms behind his head. "You know, when I first realized you'd lost Roxas, I was ready to kill you. Be glad he's okay and I can forgive you, because otherwise I'd be down to one friend, and that would stink."

"I've done well enough with one friend my whole life," Saïx said in a low voice. "Lately, I've been wondering if it's gone down to zero."

"Be nice to my cute things, and it never will."

"Hmph. Easier said than done."

"Eh! What's not to like about them!?"

"Ugh..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: For those of you who haven't read _Girl In White_, "cute things" is how my version of Axel now refers to kids he likes, especially Roxas & Xion.

I had a hard time figuring out where to end this. Saïx wouldn't stop talking. o.O Therefore it ended on a slightly lower note than I'd intended, but...gah, my headcanon's all fluff. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to pull off broken AkuSai in other fics like the CatC sequel. ;;

Thanks to Taliax, I'm convinced that Saïx is a good singer, a secret which he now guards with his life. XD

I had a few choices for worlds that Saïx could have lost Roxas in, but I ultimately ended up going with High School Musical. I really enjoy those movies *unashamed fan*, and I've always loved the idea of a character voiced by Jesse McCartney getting to sing along with the Wildcats in Kingdom Hearts. The chance to toss canon Saïx into a high school for this fic was just icing on the cake.

Complete: 24/101. Next: "Bee"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**24. Lost [challenge version]**

Summary: Saïx loses something that is very important to Axel.

o.o.o

The Grey Area was fairly lively on most evenings between 6:00 and 8:00, since everyone was usually home by that time, were finishing supper, and the more social members congregating together.

A dark portal materialized near the head of the room.

"Hey, it's the vice-Superior!" Xigbar called from where he was playing cards with Luxord and Marluxia. "Are you seriously just now RTCing? You _do_ realize we don't get paid for overtime, right?"

"We don't get paid at all," Marluxia pointed out.

Ignoring them, Saïx made his way over to where Axel was pulling a munny orb out from behind Number XIV's ear. "How are you _doing_ that?!" Xion shrieked in mystified delight, rubbing her fingers over her ears as if she expected to find more munny there.

Saïx came to a stop behind the couch Number VIII was lounging on. "Axel," he said in a low voice. "I need to talk to you."

Axel glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, hey, Saïx. Where's Roxas?"

Saïx folded his arms and looked away. "That's what I need to talk to you about," he said through gritted teeth.

Xion's eyes widened. Axel turned all the way around so that he was kneeling backwards on the couch, eyes narrowed in a glare. "You and Roxas were partners on today's mission, right? _Where is he?_"

"I'll _discuss_ this matter with you once we're in _private_," Saïx ground out.

The rest of the Organization was starting to look a little too interested in their conversation, so Axel grabbed Xion's hand, shoved Saïx into a dark corridor, and sent the three of them to his room. Where he poised a chakram at the Luna Diviner's throat and growled, "TALK."

They searched for _hours_. By what must have been nearly eleven o'clock back home, though this world was full of afternoon sunshine, they found a clue: some excited teenagers talking about "that cute new freshman with spiky hair and blue eyes." A few minutes later, the Nobodies were purposefully heading for the school auditorium.

"This really takes me back," Axel murmured as they moved down the halls.

"All well and good for you," Saïx grumbled. "I myself do not have overly fond memories of high school..."

"What's high school?" Xion asked.

Roxas was onstage, singing a duet with a pretty blonde girl, and sounding surprisingly good despite looking alarmed by her aggressively flirtatious dance moves.

"He's okay!" Xion cried gladly. Then, "Axel? That looks fun, can I sing and dance, too?"

"Um...sure, go ahead."

"No," Saïx said firmly. "We are retrieving our thirteenth member and returning to the castle at once."

"No," Axel countered, "we are staying as long as the kids want, or I'll tell that lady in charge about you winning first place at the Garden's last vocal competition."

Xion looked from one to the other. "What's a vocal competition?"

Saïx silently stalked into an aisle and sat down, crossing his arms in a clear "I am sulking" pose.

"Sorry, Xi, looks like I can't tell you," Axel grinned. "Go on and give Roxas a hand." She smiled back and scampered off. Axel sat down beside Saïx, resting his arms behind his head. "You know, when I first realized you'd lost Roxas, I was about ready to kill you. I'm glad it turns out he's okay, because otherwise, I'd have only one friend left, and that would kinda stink."

"I've done well enough with one friend my whole life," Saïx said in a low voice. "Though lately, I've been wondering if it's gone down to zero."

"Be nice to my cute things, and it never will."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: For those of you who haven't read _Girl In White_, "cute things" is how my version of Axel now refers to kids he likes, especially Roxas & Xion.

I had to cut out some exposition in order to make the story short enough. It all should be in the full version, though.

Thanks to Taliax, I'm convinced that Saïx is a good singer, a secret which he now guards with his life. XD

I really enjoy the High School Musical movies *unashamed fan*, and I've always loved the idea of a character voiced by Jesse McCartney getting to sing along with the Wildcats in Kingdom Hearts. The chance to toss canon Saïx into a high school for this fic was just icing on the cake.

Complete: 24/101. Next: "Bee"


	25. Bee (theme 25)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**25. Bee**

Summary: Round Room meetings are boring. Doesn't help that Axel was probably up late playing video games the night before.

A/N: They're 15 or 16 years old here.

o.o.o

"Our top priority at the moment should be to find new members. Though we have been doing well enough with our current numbers, we must step up recruitment if we are to achieve our goal of creating Kingdom Hearts..."

As Xemnas droned on, Saïx gave the impression of paying close attention, but was, in fact, discreetly surveying the other members gathered in the Round Room. Xigbar was lounging haphazardly in his seat, but undoubtedly not missing a thing; Xaldin was looming ominously, as if ready to tear off the head of anyone who annoyed him; Vexen was either taking vigorous notes or working out his next project and totally ignoring the meeting; Lexaeus was...being Lexaeus; Zexion was leaning back in a relaxed manner but listening closely; and Axel was...

Saïx frowned.

"...hearts lurking in the dark, grieving and wailing, all that glorious dark power just waiting to be harnessed..."

Xigbar was beginning to grin. Xaldin's eyes narrowed in growing suspicion. Both of them were staring at the same thing.

"...and then we shall merge with the Void and be indwelt with the great Nil-"

Saïx summoned his weapon and hurled it with all his berserker strength. "Haaaahhhh!"

The claymore's impact with the head of Axel's chair was explosive, causing bits of shattered white marble and clouds of dust to rain down. The young red-haired Nobody shrieked and nearly toppled off the throne-like structure, catching himself with both hands just in time.

"S...Saïx! Did you just try to kill me?"

"Number VII, explain yourself," Xemnas demanded.

Saïx sat almost demurely, legs crossed, both hands resting on one knee. "There was a bee," he murmured.

Everyone stared at him for a long moment.

"W...Well, Saïx, thanks for killing that bee for me," Axel finally said weakly, which made Xigbar laugh.

"If I may, Lord Xemnas," Zexion finally said, apparently choosing to ignore the interruption, "I would greatly appreciate it if you could explain your last statement in more detail, since...in my ignorance...I did not quite understand it."

"You didn't understand it because it made no sense," Xigbar said bluntly. "Look, Xem-sama, seeing as how the rest of us are Void-challenged and all, let's maybe stick to more practical business, like trying to figure out how to collect hearts without a Keyblade."

After the meeting, as soon as they had corridored to Twilight Town together, Saïx turned to Axel and smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!"

"Moron."

"Why are you picking on me all of a sudden!"

"You're getting off easy. You should have seen the look Xaldin was giving you."

Axel gulped. "Oh."

"Lea, don't ever fall asleep during a meeting again."

"Yessir."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Inspired by a scene from the movie _Ever After_.

Ftr, Xigbar was using the "-sama" honorific teasingly here.

Complete: 25/101. Next: Um...theme 26 appears to be missing. And 27. And 31. o.O I'm going to assume that means it's writer's choice, though I'll still e-mail Wishing-Fire about it.


	26. Substitute theme 26: Kitten

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**26. Kitten***

Summary: SO SOFT. 8D

A/N: _**Christmas at the Castle**_** universe, ****SPOILERS**** for that fic.** Takes place very shortly after the epilogue.

o.o.o

Axel had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep on Christmas Eve, and hadn't slept at all since then. It was now nearly 1:00 in the morning, December 26th. Small wonder he had soon closed his eyes, leaned back against the side of the couch, and no longer seemed to be conscious.

Saïx watched him for a little while. Among the myriad emotions they had lost along with their hearts, boredom was one of them. Then, when he was sure that Axel was well and truly asleep, he turned back to the animals, pulled off his gloves, and picked up the kitten.

"Ah..." He wasn't sure how long he sat there, quite still, with that ball of _heavenly_ soft fluff cupped in his bare palms. Long enough for Bomb to explore this new container, lick his fingers, bite his fingers, try unsuccessfully to both tumble out to the floor and climb up his arms, then finally give up on the escape attempts and curl up to go to sleep. That was best of all. So tiny, so warm, and so, so, so, so, _so, so, so SOFT_.

It was too much. "There has to be a rule about this," Saïx whispered. "It can't be legal."

Ugh, what was he doing? He was a Nobody, nothing should be having this much of an effect on him. He sighed, carefully laid the sleeping kitten on its sleeping owner's chest, then started to get up.

Chi was staring at him. She was too sweet and considerate a creature for any actual reproach to creep into her expression, but she still looked...lonely. "I will always love you most," Saïx told her firmly.

She yipped, quietly, as if out of respect for the other two's slumber, and her tiny narrow face somehow seemed to light up with delight. Saïx took Axel's stupid Christmas present out of his ears and replaced them with his usual stud earrings. Then he picked up Chi, gave her a kiss, and went off to find something useful to do until he got tired enough to go back to bed.

o.o.o

***Theme 26 was missing from the original challenge, so I made this one up.**

Complete: 26/101. Next: Theme 27 is also missing, so I came up with my own again.


	27. Substitute theme 27: Puppy

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**27. Puppy***

Summary: Like his best friend, Saïx also has a weakness against cute things.

A/N: _**Christmas at the Castle**_** universe, ****SPOILERS**** for that fic.** Takes place shortly after Christmas.

o.o.o

Saïx was eating supper, ignoring the trio laughing at the other end of the table, when he..._sensed_ something. Looking down, he found the children's puppy standing right beside his chair, fixing him with an intense, moist brown gaze and wagging its tail hopefully.

Saïx stared.

The puppy stared back.

Saïx tried willing it to go away through the sheer force of his "I am a scary berserker" vibes.

Destiny simply cranked up the adorable a few notches.

_'I'm immune, I'm immune, I'm immune,'_ Saïx tried to remind himself.

(Un?)fortunately, his immunity only worked against human beings.

Destiny was now quivering with anticipation, desperately licking his chops from time to time.

Saïx realized that he was not going to be able to resist much longer. He wanted very much (which was surprising in itself) to take that puppy in his arms and rub his face against its soft fur, but that much, at least, he was able to resist. Instead, he took off his gloves, picked some of his supper off the plate, and held it out on his flat palm.

Destiny practically inhaled the food, then rewarded him with a look of pure adoration.

_'You are so cute.'_ Pause. _'Not as cute as Chi,'_ Saïx thought loyally, _'but still quite irresistible nonetheless.'_

"Where's Destiny?" Xion suddenly asked from farther down the table.

Saïx immediately picked up his fork again, shoved another bite of food in his mouth, and pretended the dog didn't exist.

"Oh - he's over there pestering Sai." Axel came over and scooped up the dog in his arms, exactly the way Saïx longed to do. "You bein' a bad boy," Axel cooed at the wriggling animal, deftly dodging its vigorous attempts to smear drool across his face. Then he grinned. "Destiny seems to like you."

"Does he," Saïx said, so flatly that the words didn't warrant a question mark.

"...Heh, I think you like him, too."

"Why would I?"

"Welllllll, I'd say why, but then I'd have to fork over five of my hard-earned Challenge Sigils."

Saïx glared.

"Oh, come on, you know it's true."

Unexpectedly, Axel held the puppy close to his friend's face. Saïx closed his eyes in defense against the dog's eagerly lapping tongue, and raised a hand to push his assailant away. He'd forgotten that his hands were ungloved. Bare flesh met soft fur and halted, lingering. "Oh..." he murmured without meaning to. Chi was very precious but, admittedly, not nearly as soft.

"Who loves the puppy?" Axel crooned. "_Who_ loves the puppy? The puppy loves Saïx, so the one who loves the puppy is...?"

"Shut up."

o.o.o

***Theme 27 was missing from the original challenge, so I made this one up.**

Author's Notes: For anyone who doesn't care about spoilers and read this anyway without having read CatC, there was one part in that fic where Saïx got fed up and established a new rule: the price for each werewolf joke about him would now be five Challenge Sigils.

Complete: 27/101. Next: "Stop"


	28. Stop (theme 28)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**28. Stop**

Summary: They hand out driving permits way too early.

A/N: AU. Axel is 15, Saïx is his dad.

o.o.o

"Slow down."

"Chill, I'm only ten miles over."

"Allow me to define the term 'speed _limit_' for you."

"Dad! There's a cushion, hello?"

"Not in this economy when half the city's revenue is coming from traffic tickets, now slow DOWN."

"*siiiiigh*"

"Axel... _Axel_-!"

"_What_?"

"_Do you not see the squirrel_?"

"Oh, come on, it'll be across before I get to-"

"They STOP in the middle of the ROAD and then go BACK, now _slow down_!"

Sure enough, the squirrel stopped right in the center of the street, paused for a good four seconds, then suddenly whirled and scampered back the way it had come.

"Gah, that was the dumbest squirrel I've ever seen in my life."

"_All_ squirrels are like that, you need to always keep that in mind when you ARGH THAT WAS A STOP SIGN, a _stop sign_, Axel, where you're supposed to _stop_!"

"I _know_! I would've seen it if the stupid squirrel and you _screaming in my ear_ hadn't DISTRACTED me!"

"Keep your eyes on the road!"

"I _am_!"

"YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME RIGHT THIS SECOND!"

"STOP SCREAMING IN MY EAR!"

"Pull over."

"What?"

A flash of violent golden eyes.

"Okay, okay, o-_kay_, fine, geez! *pout*"

They sat there on the side of the road for a while in silence. "We're going home," Saïx finally said.

"Dad-"

"I cannot take this anymore, we're going _home_, now get out."

"..."

"..."

"...Can I at least drive home?"

"...*SIGH*"

"Can I turn on the radio now?"

"NO."

Axel cautiously pulled back onto the road again. When his father said nothing, he picked up speed a bit, cruised comfortably alongside the other drivers, approached a line of cars sitting at a red light-

Saïx was suddenly writhing and wincing in the passenger seat like he was being tortured. "Axel!"

"What _now_?" he exclaimed in exasperation.

"The brake, too fast, you're coming up on him too fast, brake _now_!"

"I _am_!"

"Then brake _harder_!"

Axel vengefully slammed his foot on the pedal, sending them both shooting forward against their seat belts. In the next instant, there was a sickening thud of metal on metal as the driver behind them was caught off guard by Axel's excessive deceleration.

Silence.

More silence.

Saïx buried his face in his hands.

"...Can I still keep my permit if I buy you ice cream?"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I have the most wonderful, loving dad in the world. Nevertheless, I wouldn't blame him for wanting to throw me and all my siblings off a moving bus every time one of us went through driver's ed. XD

Useless trivia! In Japanese, Axel's name and the abbreviated word for "accelerator" are spelled the same way ("akuseru").

Complete: 28/101. Next: "Her"


	29. Her (theme 29)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**29. Her**

Summary: Friendship before duty.

A/N: Takes place in the universe of one of my unpublished AUs, so I apologize if it doesn't make any sense.

o.o.o

"I found her crying in the woods today." Axel lay on his back with his hands behind his head, gazing soberly up at the stars.

After a moment, Saïx came over to sit down beside his friend. "Is that so."

"...She found out about Naminé."

"She already knew about Naminé."

"No. She thought Naminé was a dream. She found out that Naminé's her changeling."

"I see." Saïx lay back as well, wondering if Axel could see pictures in the stars the way humans sometimes did. "Was Larxene around?"

"No. Heh, those Riku and Sora kids were taking care of her."

"Impressive."

"It's amazing how dangerous humans can get when they spend enough time in a library." Axel suddenly frowned and turned his head toward Saïx. "Wait, why are _you_ here?"

"I got Aqua to cover for me. You need me right now more than the princess does."

Axel stared a little longer. Then he smiled. So their hearts _were_ still connected. And maybe this whole mess was upsetting him more than he thought, if Saïx could sense his grief and turmoil and thought it worth abandoning duty for. "Thanks, Sai."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Okay, so what happened was, my plot bunny for the "Her" theme was a certain image. However, when I started writing a story that would work its way toward that image, I soon had two problems. One was that the fic was becoming way too AkuShi-disguised-as-AkuKai to qualify for an AkuSai series; the other was that the scope of the story was too big to condense into 600 words. So I figured I would write a separate fic for the sake of context, then whip up a little AkuSai drabble set in the same universe to use for this challenge (which is this one posted here).

So I was trying to scribble out the AkuShi/AkuKai fic before it came time to post this - but then I ran into a brief but very strong spiritual crisis, and became uneasy about allowing that fic to be read in public, which pretty much killed my inspiration flow. Later, I decided that I might be able to make a postable version if I took out the AkuKai romance, but...ugh, my muse has chased after fifty shinier plot bunnies since then, and I give up for now. I'm just gonna post this drabble as is and _hopefully_, someday, eventually be able to complete and post an acceptable version of that context fic, which is the one actually containing the image I have for this theme. Soooo...yeah. My apologies. -.-

(Ftr, the AkuShi was age-appropriate; the AkuKai...kind of wasn't, though that's not the reason I felt like it needed censoring.)

*Spoilers* The unnamed "her" is Kairi, whose protective and resourceful best friends are Sora & Riku. The rival Faerie courts are trying to get their hands on Kairi without starting a war with each other. The fact that Axel is falling in love with Kairi while still grieving for Xion doesn't help matters at all. And I'm now realizing that Kairi sounds rather Mary Sueish here, but...I mean, I don't even like her, how can I make a Mary Sue out of a character I dislike? o.O

Complete: 29/101. Next: "A Chance"


	30. A Chance (theme 30)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

30. A Chance

***ROUGH DRAFT**

Summary: A different approach is required to win over Mr. Tsukino...

A/N: High school AU.

o.o.o

Saïx was in the middle of a lecture on moon phases when the classroom phone rang. Sighing a little, he went to answer it.

_"Hey, Sai!"_ It was Axel. The background noises sounded like he had his students doing classwork. _"I need to talk to you. Come over when you get a chance, okay?"_

Saïx had already had his conference period. "It'll have to be at the end of the day."

_"But you have lunch during my conference, right? Come eat with me!"_

Saïx sighed heavily. "This is not going to be a regular thing, Ax-" Students present. "-Mr. Hayes." Now if only Axel would return the favor and quit calling him 'Sai' in front of the children...

_"Sure, whatever. Thanks, Sai!"_ Saïx hung up and went back to the chalkboard. _'Now, where was I...?'_

Later, he brought his lunch to Axel's room and thought at first that he'd walked into the middle of class. But no, there were only eight freshmen (and one sophomore) who all seemed to be lounging around with games and music players rather than working.

"Sai!" Axel, who'd been sitting on his desk chatting with a spiky-headed boy and a black-haired girl, waved enthusiastically like a kid on a playground.

Saïx raised an eyebrow. "Is this a normal thing?"

"Yeah, the kids like hanging out with me at lunch."

_'And you _let_ them?'_ Saïx thought incredulously. _'How do you ever get anything DONE?'_

"So, hey, we were thinking! We wanna go to Disney World-"

"For _educational purposes_," the silver-haired sophomore called out mischievously.

"-and, um, well, I'd put in a field trip request, but you know how me and the principal...don't exactly see eye to eye on some things."

_'The principal_ and I_,'_ Saïx couldn't help thinking. "I can't imagine why," he said out loud, though since the children were present, he tried keeping his sarcasm limited to words alone rather than tone.

"Yeah, so, we were _thinking_, you know how you're buddies with Xem?"

_'Oh no,'_ Saïx thought.

"You can, like, convince him to let us go!"

"I am not persuading Principal Xemnas to let you take nine students on a school-affiliated field trip to Disney World," Saïx said flatly.

Then the strangest thing happened. The redhead draped her arms around the boy with darker spikes, who laid his head on the shoulder of the silver-haired boy, who rested his chin on one hand and gazed up through a fringe of long bangs. The curly-haired brunette and the boy with the dog shirt both leaned back against their blonde friend, who rested against the wall with a discouraged air. The boy with lighter-colored spikes dropped his head like a kicked puppy, as the black-haired girl brought her hands up to her mouth in a classic kawaii pose and the yellow-haired girl half-hid against Axel. Axel himself had adopted a liquid, beseeching expression. Saïx found himself _surrounded_ by miserable puppy eyes.

An involuntary shudder went through him. "That is creeping me out, you need to STOP," he commanded.

The whining started up at once.

"Whaaaat?"

"Oh, come _on_!"

"Why isn't it working?" the boy with dark spikes wondered in distress. "Mr. Hayes always caves in a second whenever we look at him like-" His silver-haired companion elbowed him meaningfully in the side. Saïx rolled his eyes.

"Fine," Axel pouted, "time for Plan B. Naminé, bring out the puppy!"

Saïx nearly choked.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Ftr, it didn't work. Sai did get a new pet out of it, though. XD

Complete: 30/101. Next: Writer's choice, I assume. ;)


	31. Substitute theme 31: Chocolate

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

31. Chocolate*

****ROUGH DRAFT**

Summary: Valentine's Day is coming up at the Castle That Never Was.

o.o.o

The Assassins and Samurai were not allowing him into the kitchen. Saïx frowned and was about to annihilate them, when Axel suddenly appeared out of a dark corridor. "Do you still like cake better, or would you rather have candy this year?"

Saïx frowned. "What?"

"Just answer the question. I need to get back in there before the kids make something explode."

"I thought that making things explode was your job," Saïx said dryly. "Axel, please tell me you three aren't doing what I think you're doing."

"Okay, I won't," Axel grinned.

Saïx sighed.

"Xion's doing it the Japanese way and Roxas and me are doing it the American way so that no one gets jealous."

"..."

"I promise it won't interfere with our missions," Axel teased in a goody-two-shoes voice.

"...Just make it clear that I've never in my life given a White Day gift to anyone, and I'm not about to start now."

"Duly noted. Jerk."

"You also have no right to block access to the kitchen during suppertime."

"I do if you still get fed." Axel handed Saïx a thermos full of soup and corridored away again.

The next day, Saïx opened his bathroom locker to find a giri chocolate cake from Xion and a Valentine's card from Roxas inscribed with the following poem: _"Axel's hair is red, yours is blue. If you give us the day off, I will like you."_

Actually, it was not until later that he noticed these. At the time, all his attention was occupied in watching two dozen roses cascading out onto the floor. "AXEL."

o.o.o

***Theme 31 was missing from the original challenge, so I made this one up.**

Author's Notes: You can look up Valentine's Day in Japan; basically, girls give boys chocolate, and a month later on White Day, boys give the girls gifts in return. Giri-choko ("obligation chocolate") are Valentines given to people out of social politeness. There's other kinds of chocolate that you'd give to people you're closer to or the one you're in love with.

I purposely did not specify the color of the roses...


	32. Hold your Hand (theme 32)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**32. Hold your Hand (rough draft)**

Summary: ...and that was how Saïx ended up helping an injured fairy retrieve a sparkly crown from the neighbor's dog.

A/N: Modern AU; Saïx is a teenager.

o.o.o

Chi was a very good dog, and usually did not bark excessively. On this particular afternoon, however, she seemed glued to Saïx's window, acting like she was trying to bark her way through it. Perhaps she was in a contest with Hollyhock outside to see who could be the most annoying.

"_Chi_!" Saïx exclaimed in exasperation, turning away from his homework. "Enough! I mean it!"

The little Chihuahua gave him a desperately anxious look. Then, with an almost despairing expression, she barked again.

He surged up and stormed over to her. She barked a few more times as she backed away, but did not resist as he picked her up and glared. "_Stop barking_, or I will _put you outside_."

"..."

"Oh, don't even start with the puppy eyes," Saïx commanded, even as he felt his heart turning to mush.

_Thump._

Saïx stared at the window in surprise.

"Bark! Bark! Bark!"

He put her down and went over to open the window and see what bird had just killed itself against the glass.

"Sacred moon!"

It wasn't a bird. Was not a bird, _definitely was not a bird_.

"Bark!"

"Gah!" Saïx quickly snatched her up before she could investigate and held her protectively against his chest. "Stay away from it, Chi."

It? Or him? The thing looked unnervingly human, just...really tiny. And with wings.

Saïx dropped Chi on the bed and cautiously reached out toward the...thing he refused to call a fairy. "What in the world are you?" he whispered, poking it cautiously.

The thing groaned and rolled over onto its stomach. "The only good dog is a dead dog..."

"_Excuse_ me?" Saïx growled.

The thing looked up at him. Its eyes widened. Then it shrieked and jerked back, wings beating wildly, the crushed one throwing it off balance. Saïx instinctively caught it just before it toppled off the windowsill.

Cautiously, he brought his cupped hands up to his face so he could inspect the thing more closely. "You really are a fairy," he said flatly.

"This is just not my day," the thing remarked. "For the record, I don't grant wishes or make other people fly, so don't bother asking."

"..." Come to think of it, what did one do with a fairy upon catching it? "Are you the other reason Hollyhock's been going nuts?"

"If 'Hollyhock' is that monster over there, then no. That thing's been driving _me_ nuts. Ugh, if I don't get that crown back, they'll feed me to a cat."

And that was how Saïx ended up going out to retrieve an enchanted crown from the neighbor's dog in order to help an injured fairy named Axel. "Do you have to do that?" he asked in annoyance as Axel, riding on his shoulder, burrowed into the hair hanging beside his neck.

"It's not like I can exactly hold your hand," the little creature grumbled.

Saïx had never once thought of Hollyhock as scary before, but...if he was only a few centimeters tall, that would be a different story. "Keep still, then. It bothers me when you move around."

"Really?" Axel said mischievously.

"OW!"

Axel yelped as Saïx just barely prevented himself in time from instinctively smacking his hand over the afflicted area. "If you don't want to get squashed like the insect you are, _stay still_."

"I'm not a bug," Axel pouted.

"Irritating whiny thing with wings - sounds like one to me."

"Aw, shut up, ya big ogre."

Saïx opened the gate, wincing at Axel's shriek as the mastiff came romping over. "She's not going to hurt you."

"Look at those TEETH!"

"Holly's a big sweetie, aren't you," Saïx crooned, stooping to fondle the dog's ears and wincing again as Axel - dragging chunks of blue hair as he went - scrambled around to the back of Saïx's neck. "Stop _doing_ that."

"Don't let it eat me or I'll sic pixies on you!"

"You don't like eating nasty annoying fairies anyway, do you, honey?" Saïx cooed at the adoring canine. "Now, where's that crown...?"

It was an easy enough matter to pull it out of the corner of Hollyhock's doghouse as she watched him sadly. The worst part was having a panicked fairy clinging to his hair and sending shivers down his spine with its tiny footsteps and agitated fluttering.

"That's it, get out of my hair."

"No!"

"Get OUT."

"Don't let it eat me!"

"She's _not_ going to _eat_ you!"

"We've got the crown, now GO! Move it! Giddyup!"

"I'm not your _horse_," Saïx growled.

"You're a pretty lame knight in shining armor, too, making friends with the dragon and all..."

"She's not a dragon, she's a dog. And she's sad that I'm taking her new toy away, don't you even feel a little bit sorry for her?"

Axel made a rude gesture in the dog's direction.

"I am seriously going to squash you..."

Saïx returned home and reached up to pull the fairy out of his now very tangled hair. Axel, though unable to fly, seemed adept at eluding his hands, and scrambled down his sleeve to the desktop.

"Bark," Chi said interestedly.

"You stay away from me," Axel growled. "I swear, you ogres are crazy, keeping those things as _pets_."

"Say another bad word about Chi, and your crown goes down the toilet," Saïx growled.

"Fine, your monster's fantastic. As long as it stays away from me. Crown?" Axel demanded.

Saïx grudgingly handed it over. "How are you going to get home if you can't fly?"

Axel shrugged. "I'll just lay low for a few days 'til it heals, I've got lots of hiding place around here."

"To hide from humans?" Saïx guessed, wondering how many fairies there were in the world and how they had managed to keep their culture hidden all this time.

"Uhhhh...yeah, to hide from humans."

Saïx narrowed his eyes. "That sounded far more indecisive than it should have."

"We hide from humans because you're all a bunch of noisy, stinky ogres," Axel said confidently.

"You wouldn't happen to need to hide from your own people, would you?"

"Why would you say that?" Axel whistled, whisking the crown behind his back.

"Why does a little unkempt commoner like you need a fancy crown, anyway?"

"You know what, I don't _have_ to grant you wishes, but I'm going to anyway, just because you were so nice and helped me out. What would you like?"

"You stole that crown, didn't you."

"Money, smokin' good looks, chew toys?"

"Is there _any_ chance that some vengeful fairy police are going to come and annoy me for aiding and abetting a thief?"

"Chew toys it is!" Axel gestured, and several chew toys appeared on the desk in a poof of gold glitter. "All right, well, thanks a bunch, bye!"

Saïx caught him before he could make it far. "Not so fast."

"I'm not an evil fairy, I swear!"

"Give me that crown."

"Noooo...!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I am determined to do at _least_ one fairy entry for every challenge I take on.

**I can't remember if I've noted this already here or if it was for other fics, but fae can't lie.**

Tinker Bell is happy with me. Axel called her a bug the first time he saw her in the manga, so this is payback. ;)

Complete: 32/101. Next: "Waffle"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**32. Hold your Hand [challenge version] (rough draft)**

Summary: ...and that was how Saïx ended up helping an injured fairy retrieve a sparkly crown from the neighbor's dog.

A/N: Modern AU; Saïx is a teenager. **Also, I'd recommend just skipping the challenge version and scrolling down. -_-;;;;**

o.o.o

Chi was a very good dog, and usually did not bark excessively. Unfortunately, this particular afternoon was an exception.

"_Chi_!" Saïx exclaimed in exasperation, turning away from his homework. "Enough! I mean it!"

_Thump._

Saïx stared at the window in surprise.

"Bark! Bark!"

He went over to open the window and see what bird had just killed itself against the glass.

"Sacred moon!"

It wasn't a bird. Was not a bird, _definitely was not a bird_.

"Bark!"

"Gah!" Saïx quickly snatched her up before she could investigate. "Stay away from it, Chi."

The thing looked unnervingly human, just...really tiny. And with wings.

Saïx dropped Chi on the bed and cautiously reached out toward the...thing he refused to call a fairy. "What in the world are you?" he whispered.

The thing groaned and rolled over onto its stomach. "The only good dog is a dead dog..."

"_Excuse_ me?" Saïx growled.

The thing looked up at him. Its eyes widened. Then it shrieked and jerked back, wings beating wildly, the crushed one throwing it off balance. Saïx instinctively caught it just before it toppled off the windowsill.

Cautiously, he brought his cupped hands up to his face so he could inspect the thing more closely. "You really are a fairy," he said flatly.

"This is just not my day," the thing remarked.

"Are you the other reason Hollyhock's been going nuts?"

"If 'Hollyhock' is that monster over there, then no. That thing's been driving _me_ nuts. Ugh, if I don't get that crown back, they'll feed me to a cat."

And that was how Saïx ended up going out to retrieve an enchanted crown from the neighbor's dog in order to help an injured fairy named Axel. "Do you have to do that?" he asked in annoyance as Axel, riding on his shoulder, burrowed into the hair hanging beside his neck.

"It's not like I can exactly hold your hand," the little creature grumbled.

Saïx had never once thought of Hollyhock as scary before, but...if he was only a few centimeters tall, that would be a different story. "Keep still, then." Saïx opened the gate, wincing at Axel's shriek as the mastiff came romping over. "She's not going to hurt you."

"Look at those TEETH!"

"Holly's a big sweetie, aren't you," Saïx crooned, stooping to fondle the dog's ears and wincing again as Axel - dragging chunks of blue hair as he went - scrambled around to the back of Saïx's neck. "Stop _doing_ that."

It was an easy enough matter to pull the crown out of the corner of Hollyhock's doghouse as she watched him sadly. The worst part was having a panicked fairy clinging to his hair and sending shivers down his spine with its tiny footsteps and agitated fluttering.

Saïx returned home and reached up to pull the fairy out of his now very tangled hair. Axel, though unable to fly, seemed adept at eluding his hands, and scrambled down his sleeve to the desktop.

"Crown?" Axel demanded.

Saïx handed it over. "How are you going to get home if you can't fly?"

Axel shrugged. "I'll just lay low for a few days 'til it heals, I've got lots of hiding place around here."

"To hide from humans?" Saïx guessed.

"Uhhhh...yeah, to hide from humans."

Saïx narrowed his eyes. "That sounded far more indecisive than it should have. You stole that crown, didn't you."

"All right, well, thanks a bunch, bye!"

Saïx caught him before he could make it far. "Not so fast."

"I'm not an evil fairy, I swear!"

"Give me that crown."

"Noooo...!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: The word count limit is driving me absolutely freaking crazy. Since this is a rough draft, I just gave up and cut out big chunks without bothering to angst over wording and stuff.

I am determined to do at _least_ one fairy entry for every challenge I take on.

**I can't remember if I've noted this already here or if it was for other fics, but fae can't lie.**

Tinker Bell is happy with me. Axel called her a bug the first time he saw her in the manga, so this is payback. ;)

Complete: 32/101. Next: "Waffle"


	33. Waffle (theme 33)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

33. Waffle

***ROUGH DRAFT**

Summary: Axel wants one.

o.o.o

Saïx walked into the kitchen at 6:30 in the morning to find Number XIV splattering eggs all over the counter. "What are you _doing_?"

The replica yelped, jumping back and whirling to face him at the same time. "Oh, Saïx! Um, uh, g-good morning. I...I just..."

Saïx came over to inspect the devastation more closely. He could practically sense XIV cringing beside him. "You've made a complete mess."

"I know," the creature said miserably. "I was trying to make a waffle for Axel, because he said he wanted one yesterday but we were out of flour, and I bought some on the way home from my last mission but I'm really bad at cooking, and when I messed up the waffle I tried to make a pancake instead, but...I'm really bad at cooking."

"That is obvious." Saïx sighed, buying time to think. He really shouldn't. It was stupid. But, well...

Pushing XIV out of the way, he expertly cracked some eggs into the mixing bowl, added flour, added milk, and ten minutes later he was scooping a second set of perfect pastries from the waffle iron onto a plate.

XIV, though hooded as always, still gave the impression of staring at him in astonishment. "S-Saïx! Your waffles are so beautiful!"

"Hush." He stepped away from the stove and glared down at the replica. "I will be most displeased if I ever catch you wasting food again."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Saïx stalked back out of the kitchen, only realizing later that he had forgotten to make breakfast for himself.

That evening, he entered his room and found a plate of blueberry waffles on his bedside table that he most certainly had not put there. His Berserkers would have only allowed one person into his chamber without bothering to alert him.

The waffles were drizzled with honey rather than syrup, exactly the way he had eaten them when he was a child. Honey had also been poured around the edges of the plate to spell out a message. _'Thanks, Sai!'_

"...Hmph." Saïx sat down on the edge of his bed, picked up the plate, and began to eat the first waffles he had tasted in almost ten years. When he had finished, not even a crumb was left.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: W00t, first time I didn't have to trim it down! Btw, I wrote this before I'd finished Theme 4, so it strikes me as being a bit...old-fashioned, as far as the development of my AkuSai writing goes? Something like that.

Complete: 33/101. Next: "Go Away"


	34. Go Away (theme 34)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**34. Go Away (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel & Saïx meet their servants for the first time.

A/N: They're very new to the Organization here.

o.o.o

Losing his heart as his homeworld and family were destroyed, being recruited by mysterious guys in black, shrouded in this heavy coat, standing now in the center of this blindingly white room with these shadowed people staring down at them from their lofty thrones... Lea knew he should be freaked out. Or angry. Or at least annoyed. _Something_.

But there was nothing, like all these horrible things had happened to someone else, someone he didn't care about, someone who didn't exist. _'Why can't I at least feel _something_?'_ That didn't even bother him, but it should. _'If things were the way they're supposed to be, I'd be upset.'_ He shifted closer to Isa until their shoulders touched. Isa glanced over at him, and Lea started to grin before realizing he needed a more appropriate expression. "I'm scared," Lea whispered.

Isa smiled a little and took his hand. "I'm scared, too."

Lea looked down at their clasped hands. Still nothing, even though he should be amused. "You're such a girl."

"Save me, Lea," Isa murmured in a playfully squeaky tone.

Lea sighed and let go, stepping back again. "Man, this bites."

Isa sighed also as he dropped the pretense, laying a hand regretfully over his empty chest. "Agreed."

"Oi," someone called from above, "are you two paying attention?"

"Yessir," Lea and Isa chorused together.

Number VII, Saïx, the Luna Diviner; Number VIII, Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames. Strange names that didn't belong to them. Names too colorful to suit the total blank their personalities felt like now.

"You'll have a day to get accustomed to the change, and then your training will begin."

"Yessir."

The huge silent guy showed them to their new rooms afterward. Lea watched his best friend disappear through a blue portal, then was ushered into his own cold bare room, completely empty except for some basic furniture. All white. With the black eternal night of the World That Never Was yawning through the large window in the middle of it.

"Very cheerful," Lea remarked dryly. The big guy simply walked out again without answering. Lea sighed and flopped onto the bed. "Laaaame. _Lame_. Just..._all_ of it."

He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying there - apparently he could no longer get bored, either, which might be the first advantage he'd discovered about this whole lousy situation - when something happened. A whirling sound, kind of like whenever one of those black portals opened. Lea looked up and stared.

A bunch of strange creatures had appeared out of nowhere. It belatedly occurred to him that he should be surprised and alarmed. After debating about it for a minute, he decided to go with what he _should_ be feeling rather than what he actually felt. "Whoa!" He leaped to his feet. "What the heck are these things!?"

They were kind of like the creepy Dusk creatures, as white as the castle and vaguely humanoid, but they were also different. Much larger feet, drifting instead of wriggling, wings with long spines all down their lengths...

The creatures advanced, some floating, some diving straight into the ground and gliding closer like sharks through water.

"Hey. Hey now." Too late, Lea realized that he was surrounded. "Argh, go away!" He scrambled up to stand on the bed. The things hesitated, gazing at him with an almost wary air. Then one of those in the floor slooshed into the bed and swiped at his feet with its wings.

"GAH!"

Lea made a break for it, bounding down and shoving his way between two of the things, wincing as their wing blades tore through his sleeves. "Leave me _alone_!" He burst out into the room with all the portal doors, where he was not the only one making a commotion. "Isa!"

"Lea!"

"These creepy things-!"

"They're following me!"

"Wait, you too?!" Lea's mouth dropped open as a hulking creature came stumbling out of Isa's portal, dragging a huge weapon. "What _are_ they?"

"A pain in the-" Isa suddenly dove at Lea, tackling him out of the way right before the club came swinging at him.

Lea realized that the weapon was actually dragging its wielder, not the other way around. "That is _messed_ up!" Then he saw his own harriers tumbling out of his portal, surging forward. He instinctively rolled on top of Isa and cried out in pain as the blades came slashing across his back rather than at their intended target. The creatures recoiled uneasily.

"Lea," Isa whispered. Then his eyes widened. "Get down!" His turn this time to roll Lea out of the way again; the club came crashing down into the floor just shy of a few crimson locks of hair. Isa scrambled to his feet, gripping Lea's arm to haul him up as well, then they ran. Geez, it was just like the shadow monsters' attack on the Garden a few days ago...the only difference being a total lack of that day's panic and horror.

"Why are they after us?!"

"How should I know!?

"This is _stupid_!"

"Shouldn't someone in this castle have noticed by now?"

"AAAHHHH!"

"Aaahhhhh."

"_AAAHHH_."

"Aaahhh."

"Scared yet?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"I can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing, considering that we're running for our lives..."

They skidded around a corner and smacked straight into the guy with the eye patch. "Whoa! Where are you lads headed off to in such a hurry?"

"Those things!"

"They're dangerous."

"Came out of nowhere!"

"Chasing us-"

"They're trying to kill us!"

Xigbar looked up as the whole swarm of creatures came barreling around the corner. "What the..."

"There they are!"

"It's like they've got it in for us."

Xigbar raised his hands. There was a swirling sound, and weapons like crossbows appeared in them. These he pointed at the advancing creatures and fired a whole line of purple beams at them. "Oi! You punks back off."

Interestingly, the creatures obeyed.

"Hmph." Xigbar adopted a lecturing pose. "I know you hooligans are all new at the Nobody thing, but here's Rule #1: Trying to hurt your masters is a huge no-no."

"They're Nobodies?" Lea realized.

Isa frowned thoughtfully. "Like you said we are now?"

"They're not just any Nobodies, they're _your_ Nobodies," Xigbar laughed.

"_Ours_?!"

"Each of us has a whole posse of lesser Nobody servants," Xigbar explained. "They can come in handy, but you gotta show 'em who's boss." After he had explained a few things, made them look like idiots, then traipsed off and left them to 'play,' Lea and Isa turned dubiously back to their new little private armies.

"Okay," Lea tried, "so, listen up, you...things."

"Berserkers," Isa muttered. "That's what mine are, rampaging all over the place like mindless beasts..."

"Yeah, and you freaking Assassins need to stop creeping around like obsessed stalkers."

Isa raised an eyebrow.

Ignoring him, Lea went on, "This is the first thing we need to get straight: no attacking my friend Isa here. EVER."

"Your orders are the same," Isa warned his Berserkers. "If you even _think_ of harming Lea, I will beat your heads off your shoulders."

"With your bare hands?" Lea teased.

"If necessary," Isa stated with a straight face.

"Aw, I feel so loved."

"Nice trick, considering you're missing anything to feel with."

"Whatever, it's the thought that counts. And _you_!" Lea pointed at the horde of miserably hunched Assassins. "If you try to hurt Isa again, I will seriously set you on _fire_ and- Whoa!"

Both boys stared as a jet of flame burst from Lea's stabbing finger.

"Wh...What was...?"

Warily, Lea waved his hand in the air. A small banner of fire trailed almost shyly in its wake.

"..."

"..."

"...So where's my superpower?" Isa wondered.

"Luna Diviner," Lea mused. Then he grinned. "Hey, Isa, let's figure out how to work those dark corridor things and see if we can find a world with a moon..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I guess they can't talk to their servants like they can in CatC. Or else that's something that doesn't happen instantaneously.

Axel & Saïx talk way too much. I have trouble figuring out where to end stories sometimes, I have to wait until they say something that won't make a 'The end' sound weird coming right afterwards.

Complete: 34/101. Next: "Never Again"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**34. Go Away [challenge version] (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel & Saïx meet their servants for the first time.

A/N: They're very new to the Organization here.

And I had to cut out SO MUCH stuff to meet the limit... ;; The original version is 1,321 words, over twice as long. I miss my AkuSai banter. *sob* Never again, never, ever, _ever_ again am I going to accept a challenge with a word count limit, no matter how awesome it is otherwise, because I just _can't do this_. * is upset*

o.o.o

Lea wasn't sure how long he'd been lying there when a bunch of strange creatures appeared. He decided to go with what he _should_ be feeling rather than what he actually felt. "Whoa!" He leaped to his feet. "What the heck are these things!?"

The creatures advanced, some diving into the ground and gliding closer.

"Hey." He was surrounded. "Argh, go away!" He scrambled up to stand on the bed. The things hesitated. Then one of them slooshed into the bed and swiped at his feet with its wings.

"GAH!"

Lea made a break for it, shoving between two of the things and bursting out into the room with all the portals, where he was not the only one making a commotion. "Isa!"

"Lea!"

"These creepy things-!"

"They're following me!"

"Wait, you too?!" Lea's mouth dropped open as a hulking creature came stumbling out of Isa's portal. "What _are_ they?"

"A pain in the-" Isa suddenly dove at Lea, tackling him out of the way right before the club came swinging at him. Lea saw his own harriers tumbling out of his portal, surging forward. He instinctively rolled on top of Isa and cried out in pain as the blades came slashing across his back rather than at their intended target.

"Lea," Isa whispered. Then his eyes widened. "Get down!" His turn this time to roll Lea out of the way again; the club came crashing down into the floor just shy of a few crimson locks of hair. Isa scrambled to his feet, gripping Lea's arm to haul him up as well. They ran.

"Why are they after us?!"

"How should I know!?

"This is _stupid_!"

"Shouldn't someone in this castle have noticed by now?"

"AAAHHHH!"

"Aaahhhhh."

"_AAAHHH_."

"Aaahhh."

"Scared yet?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"I can't decide if that's good or bad, considering that we're running for our lives..."

They skidded around a corner and smacked straight into Xigbar. "Whoa! Where're you headed off to in such a hurry?"

"Those things!"

"They're dangerous."

"Came out of nowhere!"

"Chasing us-"

"They're trying to kill us!"

Xigbar looked up as the whole swarm of creatures came barreling around the corner. He raised his weapons and fired at the creatures. "Oi! You punks back off."

The creatures obeyed.

"Hmph. I know you're all new at the Nobody thing, but here's Rule #1: Trying to hurt your masters is a huge no-no."

"They're Nobodies?" Lea realized.

"They're not just any Nobodies, they're _your_ Nobodies," Xigbar laughed. "Each of us has a whole posse of lesser Nobody servants. They're handy, but you gotta show 'em who's boss." After he left, Lea and Isa turned dubiously back to their little private armies.

"Okay," Lea tried, "so, listen up, you...things."

"Berserkers," Isa muttered. "That's what mine are, rampaging all over the place like mindless beasts..."

"Yeah, and you freaking Assassins need to stop creeping around like obsessed stalkers. This is the first thing we need to get straight: no attacking my friend Isa here. EVER."

"Your orders are the same. If you even _think_ of harming Lea, I will beat your heads off your shoulders."

"And _you_!" Lea pointed at the Assassins. "If you try to hurt Isa again, I will seriously set you on _fire_ and- Whoa!"

Both boys stared as a jet of flame burst from Lea's stabbing finger.

"Wh...What was...?"

"...So where's my superpower?" Isa wondered.

Lea grinned. "Hey, Isa, let's figure out how to work those dark corridor things and see if we can find a world with a moon..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I guess they can't talk to their servants like they can in CatC. Or else that's something that doesn't happen instantaneously.

Axel & Saïx talk way too much. I have trouble figuring out where to end stories sometimes, I have to wait until they say something that won't make a 'The end' sound weird coming right afterwards.

Complete: 34/101. Next: "Never Again"


	35. Never Again (theme 35)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**35. Never Again (rough draft)**

Summary: Saïx officially hates this world.

A/N: They're maybe 19 or 20 here.

o.o.o

"...but first, let me introduce our guests: Mr. Flamehead and Miss Blue!" Bo Peep gushed. "Everyone say hi."

"Hi~!" Barbie, Woody, and Buzz said.

Mr. Flamehead waved back and Miss Blue gave a shy smile. "Nice to meet you!"

"Now, you two can sit together here by the boys. Would you like sugar in your tea, Mr. Flamehead?"

"Wait a minute, it's supposed to be ladies first," Mr. Flamehead pointed out.

"Oh yeah! I'm sorry, Miss Blue. Would _you_ like sugar in your tea?"

"Oh, yes, thank you ever so much," Miss Blue said happily. "*slurp* Mm, this is _delicious_!"

"I'm so glad you like it, Miss Blue. And you, Mr. Flamehead?"

"No thanks, please, I want coffee, um, ma'am," Mr. Flamehead said.

"Well, okay. Here you are!"

"*slurp* Mmm, yummy!"

"Wait, that's hot coffee," someone large and unspecified mumbled to herself.

"I mean," Mr. Flamehead gasped, "_Ouch_! That's hot!"

"Oh, poor thing," Miss Blue said in concern. "Did you burn your mouth, dear?"

"Just a little. I'm fine."

"Oh, good!"

"Well then," Barbie said briskly, "why don't you two tell us about yourselves? I've never seen you in Andy's room before."

"Well," Mr. Flamehead explained, "we just moved into town, but all the boxes with our clothes fell out of the moving van and that's why we're wearing these weird black coats."

"We're really not bad guys," Miss Blue whimpered, "but everyone thinks we are. You people are the first ones here who've been nice to us."

"Well, we like you a lot," Woody assured her. "In fact, we're going to offer you a big warm welcome by singing-!"

"Molly!"

o.o.o

A rather sweaty-looking boy with a basketball under one arm was standing in the doorway, looking disapprovingly at their tormentor.

"Oh, hi, Andy."

"Molly, I told you to stay out of my room."

"I was just playing," the girl said nonchalantly. "I wanted to see your new toys."

"New toys?" Andy came over and crouched down to peer at the two black-coated action figures sitting at the tea table with Woody and Buzz. "Where did these come from?" he murmured, picking them up in one hand to inspect them more closely.

"They're yours, aren't they?"

"I've never seen 'em before in my life. Not a big deal, though; this happens to me a lot," Andy laughed. He set the figures back down again and stood up. "I'm gonna go take a shower. _Stay out of my room_, Molly, okay?"

"But I wanna play with your toys," she protested. "It's not like _you_ ever play with them anymore."

"Well...you can borrow Buzz and the new ones, but leave Woody alone."

"I'm not gonna ruin him, Andy, I'm not a baby. _You're_ the dummy who ripped his arm off."

"Molly," he said warningly. "Do you wanna use Buzz or don't you?"

"*sigh* FINE," she said dramatically.

Andy turned back and stooped to pick up Woody, then frowned. "Hey, where'd those two new figures go?"

o.o.o

After the kids had left, Woody climbed off the dresser and found that the newcomers had come out of hiding. Mr. Flame- That is, Axel was laughing and simultaneously using language that Woody was glad the preschool toys weren't around to hear, as Saïx hefted an enormous club-like accessory and used it to vengefully smash the basketball more than halfway across the room. It was pretty impressive.

"Never again," Saïx snarled. "We are _never_ accepting a mission in this world _ever again_."

"You mean you didn't have fun at _all_, Miss Blue?" Axel teased.

"Call me that again and you'll get a claymore to the face."

"Oh, come on, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Woody interjected anxiously. "You should've seen Buzz's Mrs. Nesbitt act a few years ago."

Saïx shuddered.

"Oh, whatever," Axel sighed. "It's not like we could hate it even if we'd wanted to."

"Speak for yourself. _You_ didn't have to play a female."

Axel smirked. "Maybe you should consider getting a haircut."

Saïx glared.

Woody went on eagerly, "Really, considering how little we've been played with lately, that was great! And it's ten times better when Andy does it, too; you guys should really stick around."

"NO."

"No, thanks," Axel said quickly. "Like we said, mission and all. So hey, about those creepy animal figures you were telling us about before we got interrupted, did they happen to have a symbol on them...?"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This one was hard, and I'm relieved that I eventually managed to come up with a plot bunny. I like the concept (_Toy Story_ needs more love in the KHverse), but not the execution, especially the beginning. *wince*

Complete: 35/101. Next: "Bowl of Grapes"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**35. Never Again [challenge version] (rough draft)**

Summary: Saïx officially hates this world.

A/N: They're maybe 19 or 20 here.

o.o.o

"...but first, every say hi to Mr. Flamehead and Miss Blue!" Bo Peep gushed.

"Nice to meet you!" Barbie, Woody, and Buzz said.

Mr. Flamehead waved, and Miss Blue gave a shy smile.

"Now, you two can sit over here. Would you like sugar in your tea, Miss Blue?"

"Oh, yes, thank you ever so much," Miss Blue said happily. "*slurp* Mm, this is _delicious_!"

"I'm so glad you like it. And you, Mr. Flamehead?"

After everyone had been served, Barbie said, "Why don't you two tell us about yourselves? I've never seen you in Andy's room before."

"Well," Mr. Flamehead explained, "we just moved here, but all our clothes fell out of the moving van and that's why we're wearing these weird black coats."

"We're really not bad guys," Miss Blue whimpered, "but everyone thinks we are. You people are the first ones here who've been nice to us."

"Well, we like you a lot," Woody assured her. "Hey, everyone, let's sing-!"

"Molly!"

o.o.o

A sweaty-looking boy with a basketball under one arm was standing in the doorway, frowning at their tormentor.

"Oh, hi, Andy."

"Molly, I told you to stay out of my room."

"I was just playing," the girl said. "I wanted to see your new toys."

"New toys?" Andy came over and crouched down to peer at the two black-coated action figures sitting with Woody and Buzz. "Where did these come from?" he murmured, picking them up in one hand to inspect more closely.

"They're yours, aren't they?"

"I've never seen 'em before in my life. Not a big deal, though; this happens to me a lot," Andy laughed. He set the figures down again and stood up. "I'm gonna take a shower. Stay out of my room, okay?"

"But I wanna play with your toys," she protested. "It's not like _you_ ever play with them anymore."

"Well...you can borrow Buzz and the new ones, but leave Woody alone."

"I'm not gonna ruin him, Andy. _You're_ the dummy who ripped his arm off."

"Molly, do you wanna use Buzz or don't you?"

"*sigh* FINE," she said dramatically.

Andy turned back and stooped to pick up Woody, then frowned. "Hey, where'd those two new figures go?"

o.o.o

After the kids had left, Woody climbed off the dresser and found that the newcomers had come out of hiding. Axel was laughing and simultaneously using language that Woody was glad the preschool toys weren't around to hear, as Saïx hefted an enormous club-like accessory and vengefully smashed the basketball more than halfway across the room. It was pretty impressive.

"Never again," Saïx snarled. "We are _never_ accepting a mission in this world _ever again_."

"You mean you didn't have fun at _all_, Miss Blue?" Axel teased.

"Call me that again and you'll get a claymore to the face."

"Come on, that wasn't too bad, was it?" Woody interjected anxiously. "You should've seen Buzz's Mrs. Nesbitt act a few years ago."

"Ugh."

"Oh, whatever," Axel sighed. "It's not like we could hate it even if we'd wanted to."

"Speak for yourself. _You_ didn't have to play a female."

Axel smirked. "Maybe you should consider getting a haircut."

Saïx glared.

Woody went on eagerly, "Really, considering how little we've been played with lately, that was great! And it's ten times better when Andy does it, too; you guys should really stick around."

"No, thanks," Axel said quickly. "Like we said, mission and all. So hey, about those creepy animal figures you were telling us about before we got interrupted, did they happen to have a symbol on them...?"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This one was hard, and I'm relieved that I eventually managed to come up with a plot bunny. I like the concept (_Toy Story_ needs more love in the KHverse), but not the execution, especially the beginning (it's a lot worse in the full-length version).

Complete: 35/101. Next: "Bowl of Grapes"


	36. Bowl of Grapes (theme 36)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

36. Bowl of Grapes **(ROUGH DRAFT)**

Summary: Maybe they should have picked a different elective.

A/N: High school AU.

o.o.o

The tables in the art classroom were always arranged around the sides of the room, since the stuff they were supposed to be drawing or painting or sculpting or whatever was usually displayed in the middle. Currently, there was a bowl of grapes sitting on the center table for their still life unit, along with a few apples, a pear, a vase of flowers, and a pitcher lying on its side.

_'Should have taken a different elective,'_ Saïx thought as he dutifully sketched out the shapes as best he could. Axel had insisted they take something together, though, and between all of Saïx's honors classes and Axel's practices, it was difficult trying to find something that would work with both their schedules.

Speaking of Axel... Saïx glanced over to see how his friend was faring with the assignment, and accidentally scratched a pencil mark straight across the grapes. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

Axel looked up from his drawing of a wolf gnawing on a chew toy and grinned. "Trying to get your attention."

"Put it away, idiot!"

"But I'm so bored!'

"It's your fault we ended up in this class in the first place, now deal with it!"

They both shut up and Axel flipped his paper around (revealing what looked like a boat with a curly wig, which was apparently his depiction of the grapes) when the teacher passed behind them. "Are you boys having trouble with the assignment?" she said severely.

"No, ma'am," Saïx murmured, at the same time Axel said, "What's the point of drawing fruit? Someone should get up there and pose."

"Oh, so you're volunteering?"

"What? No, not me! I just meant, someone. Who's not me."

"Class," the teacher announced with a wicked little grin, "change of plans. Get another piece of paper, Axel has offered to model for us."

"What! No, I didn't!"

Ten minutes later, Axel was lounging on the center table in a casual-looking pose that was actually quite difficult to hold, nearly crying with boredom. "Ms. Taaaft," he whined, "pleeease, please let me draw fruit again..."

"No!" the girls shrieked, "Stay there!"

"Too late, Axel," the teacher said with relish. "When you ask to change assignments, make sure that's actually what you want."

Axel looked pleadingly at Saïx, but his best friend was merely hiding a smirk. _'Dang it, Saïx, you and your puppy eyes immunity!'_

Though he couldn't hold it against him anymore when he saw after class that Saïx had drawn a Bomb in the corner of his assignment. "Saïx, next year we're taking choir."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: **The wolf-with-chew-toy idea is Taliax's. X3** I got such a kick out of that picture! She has it on her art page that's linked on her profile.

This story seems a little off to me, but drabbles are so short and I wrote this so long ago...the concept's a little more important than the realism, as opposed to how I do longer fics.

I honestly could not figure out whether the teacher was an Axel fangirl or not. Up for interpretation, I guess. I prefer her not to be, but it makes a little more sense if she is...?

I'm pretty sure I actually wrote this before deciding that Saïx is a good singer (and before I'd clarified Saïx's immunity to human puppy eyes in other stories). Funny how things work out sometimes...

Complete: 36/101. Next: "Button"


	37. Button (theme 37)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

37. Button **(ROUGH DRAFT)**

Summary: Roxas is not the only one to make a new friend at school.

A/N: Modern AU; Roxas & Xion are five years old - which of course means they steal the spotlight again. Guess who their daddies are.

This is the second week of school, so Rox & Xi have known each other for that long.

o.o.o

When Axel went to the Open House at Roxas's new school, he did not expect that he'd have to squeeze himself into a chair designed for kindergarteners and put together a craft.

"Dad, can I trade?"

Roxas was holding a fistful of uncooked spaghetti, staring longingly at Axel's twisted gemelli pasta.

As if Axel cared in the slightest. "Sure. Here."

"All right, now!" the teacher called brightly as she walked amongst the tables. "Your job is to make a self-portrait out of the materials you have been given. Boys and girls, help your mommies and daddies do their best!"

There was a scattered surge of "Okay"s and questions and complaining from the children. Axel shook his head and glanced over at the miserable dad on the other side of Roxas. "Not sure I'm a fan of the let's-be-our-kids-for-a-day method, how about you?"

"This is ridiculous," the man grumbled, staring down at the paper in front of him depicting a blank face.

The little girl who must be his daughter leaned around him, reaching out. "Roxas, can you give me that yellow button over there?"

"Yeah." Roxas picked it up and tossed it. Of course it skittered off the table.

"Roxas," Axel scolded, reaching down to pick up the button before the little girl had to get on the floor to retrieve it, "you're not supposed to throw things at girls."

"Why not?"

"Because they can't catch them."

"Girls can so catch things!" the little girl cried indignantly. "Look." She grabbed a green button and threw it at Roxas, who yelped as it pinged off his cheek.

Axel burst into laughter. "I dunno, Roxas. Does that mean I'm right because she called you a girl and you didn't catch it, or is she right because you're a boy and didn't catch it?"

Roxas's response was to pick up another button, but the girl's dad caught his hand before he could throw it at her. "Enough. Let's just get this over with so we can go home."

"Amen to that," Axel sighed. He drizzled glue on the edges of the face and gave Roxas a hunk of red yarn to stick on for hair.

"Daddy," the little girl was whining, "why can't I use glitter?"

"If this is supposed to be a self-portrait, then glitter will _not_ be involved in any way, shape, or form."

"Why not?" Axel asked mischievously. "_I_ think it'll look cute."

"Do what you like with your own," the guy said shortly, shoving the glitter canister in Axel's direction.

Roxas reached for it.

"_Whoa_, buddy!" Axel hurriedly snatched up his son's hand before it could make contact with the stuff. "Let's...leave that alone, Rox, it's toxic."

"But you said it was cute," Roxas pointed out.

"It _is_ cute!" the girl exclaimed in dismay. "Daddy, don't be a party pooper!"

"Let's SHARE the glitter," her father said, passing off the canister to a little girl at the next table.

"But they already have glitter!"

"Now they have more."

"By the way," Axel said, reaching his arm over Roxas's head, "I'm Axel Hayes."

"Saïx Tsukino," the girl's dad said brusquely, shaking his hand.

Wait. "Tsukino?" The corners of Axel's lips started to turn up in a grin. "Isn't that like-?"

*DEATH GLARE*

"Whoa!"

Roxas hid under the table.

"Daddy, don't do that to people, it's not nice," the girl scolded, picking up the self-portrait and planting it right over her father's death glare. She studied the result for a moment, then picked up a butterfly stamp and imprinted the shape between the portrait's eyes.

"Xion, get that off my face."

"But I have to see what it looks like on you for real!"

Axel, meanwhile, was trying to dig Roxas out from under the table. "Hey, Rox, c'mon, you're gonna get yelled at."

"Xion's dad is scary," Roxas pouted, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Axel chuckled a little. "Not with a butterfly on his face..."

"...There's a butterfly on his face?" Roxas crawled out to see, and by that time, Axel had noticed something interesting.

"There really is," he murmured, reaching without thinking to touch the crossed scars like butterfly wings, as if he was an impulsive little kid himself.

"Don't _do_ that," Saïx snapped, batting his hand away.

"Sorry! Just curious. What'd you do, go running around with scissors or something?"

"No, Mommy had the scissors," Xion explained as she drew blue eyebrows over the yellow button eyes.

"Xion," her father said sharply.

Axel stared.

"There isn't a butterfly on his face, liar," Roxas declared.

"Y...You...what...?"

"My wife is currently in a psychiatric hospital," Saïx mumbled, face now hidden by his long hair as he leaned to switch out the crimson crayon Xion had been applying to the portrait's mouth with a much paler tone. "If you feel uncomfortable letting your son continue to associate with my daughter, please clarify this now. The longer they're friends, the longer she'll sulk when I have to tell her she can't play with him anymore."

The practiced tone of his voice, as if he had gone through all this before and was tired of it, made Axel flaming angry. He clapped his fist down on the table and said loudly, "Hey, Xion! You wanna bring your dad over this weekend to play?"

Xion's mouth dropped open. "Really?!"

"Let's go to Pizza Planet," Roxas said decisively.

"Pizza Planet it is, then," Axel declared.

"I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Pizza Planet!" Xion shrieked in delight, then climbed almost straight over both Saïx and Roxas so she could glomp Axel. Axel laughed and hugged her back.

"You kicked me," Roxas complained, throwing yarn at Xion's back in retaliation.

"Sorry, Roxas! I love you, Roxas's dad!"

"Xion," Saïx said pointedly, "you didn't get permission."

Xion scrambled back over Roxas ("If you do that again I'll bite you"), flung her arms around her father's neck, and burst into tears.

"I...I didn't say you couldn't go, you just need to _ask_," he mumbled, awkwardly patting her back.

"Yay! I love you, too, Daddy!"

"This love of yours is conditional, I see..."

Xion looked over her shoulder, beaming through the remnants of her tears. "Is Pizza Planet fun?"

"You get to bash aliens on the head," Roxas said with relish.

"You'll love it," Axel promised. "So will you, Xion's dad."

"What in the world gave you the impression that I would be participating in this outing?"

"Heh, just wait, you won't be able to resist."

"We shall see."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: When looking up pasta types, I came across gemelli, the name of which is derived from the Italian word for "twins." COULD NOT RESIST. Even if Rox & Xi aren't twins in this universe, or even in the _Stepsiblings_ universe, they've sure started acting like it. X3 That's not even counting their canon backstory.

I'm sure that "Tsukino" is a perfectly normal Japanese name, but it also happens to be Sailor Moon's surname, which is where all the connotations for me come in. XD

I love five-year-old Roxas lots more than canon!Roxas. He is _so_ fun to write. And I love AkuSaiRokuShi so freaking much. X3

*sigh* I keep posting things out of order... Axel taking five-or-six-year-old Roxas to Pizza Planet was from the _Stepsiblings_ series, but I haven't published that story yet. Speaking of unpublished _Stepsiblings_ stuff, I honestly did not intend for "Kingdom Hearts" to be Sai's wife here, but now I can't get that idea out of my head... Man, I think the plot bunnies from these two series are having babies together. o.O

Once again, Axel & Saïx (also Roxas & Xion in this case) would not shut up. This was another case of watching the back-and-forth dialogue like a hawk until I could finally burst in and yell "There! I can put 'The end' after that and it won't sound weird!" as they gave me angry D: faces. No wonder I can't make the word count limit half the time...

For the record, I loathe glitter. A lot. I can't stand to touch it or get too close to it. ...Heh, I do like sparkly things in general, though.

Complete: 37/101. Next: "Laugh"

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

37. Button [challenge version] **(ROUGH DRAFT)**

Summary: Roxas is not the only one to make a new friend at school.

A/N: **Full version above, because there's just no way to censor this without completely ruining it. And besides, the AkuSaiRokuShi is too adorable, I couldn't bear cutting out a single word.**

Modern AU; Roxas & Xion are five years old - which of course means they steal the spotlight again. Guess who their daddies are.

This is the second week of school, so Rox & Xi have known each other for that long.

o.o.o

When Axel went to the Open House, he didn't expect to have to squeeze into a kindergartener-sized chair and make a craft.

"All right!" the teacher called brightly, "Your job is to make a self-portrait out of the materials you've been given. Boys and girls, help your mommies and daddies do their best!"

Axel shook his head and glanced over at the miserable dad beside him. "Not sure I'm a fan of the let's-be-our-kids-for-a-day method, how about you?"

"This is ridiculous," the man grumbled, staring down at the paper in front of him depicting a blank face.

The little girl who must be his daughter leaned around him, reaching out. "Roxas, can you give me that yellow button over there?"

"Yeah." Roxas picked it up and tossed it. It skittered off the table.

"Roxas," Axel scolded, reaching down to pick up the button, "you're not supposed to throw things at girls."

The other dad rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with so we can go home."

"Amen to that," Axel sighed. "By the way, I'm Axel Hayes."

"Saïx Tsukino," the girl's dad said brusquely, shaking his hand.

"Tsukino? Isn't that like-?"

*DEATH GLARE*

"Whoa!"

Roxas hid under the table.

"Daddy, don't do that to people, it's not nice," the girl scolded, picking up the self-portrait and planting it right over her father's death glare. She studied the result for a moment, then picked up a butterfly stamp and imprinted the shape between the portrait's eyes.

Axel was trying to dig Roxas out from under the table. "Hey, Rox, c'mon, you're gonna get yelled at."

"Xion's dad is scary," Roxas pouted, crossing his arms stubbornly.

Axel chuckled a little. "Not with a butterfly on his face..."

"...There's a butterfly on his face?" Roxas crawled out to see, and by that time, Axel had noticed something interesting.

"There really is," he murmured, looking at the crossed scars like butterfly wings. "What'd you do, go running around with scissors or something?"

"No, Mommy had the scissors," Xion explained.

"Xion," her father said sharply.

Axel stared.

"My wife is currently in a psychiatric hospital," Saïx mumbled, face now hidden by his long hair. "If you feel uncomfortable letting your son continue to associate with my daughter, please clarify this now. The longer they're friends, the longer she'll sulk when I have to tell her she can't play with him anymore."

The practiced tone of his voice, as if he had gone through all this before and was tired of it, made Axel angry. "Hey, Xion! You wanna bring your dad over this weekend to play?"

Xion's eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Let's go to Pizza Planet," Roxas said decisively.

"Pizza Planet it is, then," Axel declared.

"I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Pizza Planet!" Xion shrieked in delight, glomping Axel.

"Xion," Saïx said pointedly, "you didn't get permission."

Xion scrambled back, flung her arms around her father's neck, and burst into tears.

"I...I didn't say you couldn't go, you just need to _ask_," he mumbled, awkwardly patting her back.

"Yay!" Xion looked over her shoulder, beaming now. "Is Pizza Planet fun?"

"You'll love it," Axel promised. "So will you, Xion's dad."

"What in the world gave you the impression that I would be participating in this outing?"

"Heh, just wait, you won't be able to resist."

"We shall see."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I'm sure that "Tsukino" is a perfectly normal Japanese name, but it also happens to be Sailor Moon's surname, which is where all the connotations for me come in. XD

I love five-year-old Roxas lots more than canon!Roxas. He is _so_ fun to write. And I love AkuSaiRokuShi so freaking much. X3

*sigh* I keep posting things out of order... Axel taking five-or-six-year-old Roxas to Pizza Planet was from the _Stepsiblings_ series, but I haven't published that story yet. Speaking of unpublished _Stepsiblings_ stuff, I honestly did not intend for "Kingdom Hearts" to be Sai's wife here, but now I can't get that idea out of my head... Man, I think the plot bunnies from these two series are having babies together. o.O

Complete: 37/101. Next: "Laugh"


	38. Laugh (theme 38)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

38. Laugh **(ROUGH DRAFT)**

Summary: "It's necessary, fine, I get it. But do you _have_ to act like you're enjoying it so much?"

A/N: This is their first week or two in the Organization. Also slightly AU to my other stuff as far as mechanics.

o.o.o

"You know," Lea coughed, feeling like some of his ribs had been broken, "I seriously don't mind you torturing us For Science - because I CAN'T - but can you at least not make that creepy pedo laugh while you're doing it?"

"I thought I already explained to you the purpose of these exercises, stupid boy," Vexen huffed through the speakers. He himself was sitting smug and safe at the control panel on the other side of the transparent wall. "If you're gong to be a useful member of this Organization, you're going to need a far more efficient way to store and keep track of the physical damage that befalls you. I should note that our restorative items will have no effect on you otherwise."

"I _get_ the whole 'LOL we're gonna give you HP bars!' thing," Lea wheezed resentfully, climbing to his feet with difficulty.

"Then you understand the purpose behind this," Vexen sniffed. "I'm not doing it for my own enjoyment."

"Could've fooled me," Lea growled. He glanced over into the other room where Isa was trapped, the two of them separated by another transparent partition. His best friend was slumped in the middle of the floor, eyes closed, breathing labored. "Vexen, it's been _hours_. Why the freak do we need to get this done in one sitting? Isa can't take much more of this."

"Number VII's name is _Saïx_, and he'll be fine once I open the window again," Vexen said dismissively, reaching for the controls.

"You IDIOT!" Lea shouted, causing the scientist to pause and stare at him in outrage. "The moonlight's not energizing him, it's _draining_ him! It makes him go Berserk and then he comes out of it even more exhausted than before! His recovery time's taking forever now, are you _blind_? You're gonna turn him into a frickin' zombie if you keep this up!"

"Don't you dare speak to me that way, Number VIII," Vexen thundered, and slammed his hand against a lever.

More ice monsters. Lea gritted his teeth and hefted the chakrams again, which seemed to be getting heavier and heavier the longer this nightmare went on. He glimpsed Isa struggling to his feet, but then the place was flooded with moonlight, and the berserker's wordless roar drowned out all thought.

o.o.o

The cold seemed to fill him until he _became_ it. Unable to move or scream, he wondered if maybe Vexen had killed him and this was hell, but then the ice that encased him finally shattered.

Lea was flung to the floor, and his head knocked against the partition alongside which Isa had also ended up sprawled. Two sets of agonized green eyes met and held. "Vexen," Lea heard himself whimpering distantly, "please..." He had no strength left. If another monster appeared, he'd have to just lie here and let it finish him off.

"You know," Vexen lectured mercilessly, "you both could make this a lot easier on yourselves if you put some effort into figuring out how to summon your lesser Nobody servants."

"Please..."

Isa slowly reached up and touched his fingertips to the barrier. Lea pressed his palm against it as well, as if they could somehow break through to each other.

"Oh, stop whining, we're nearly there. HP installation is 87% complete, so pull yourselves together and keep it up for just a little longer..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Because if you think about it, KH characters can be down to 1 HP and still run around and fight like normal. Outside of cutscenes, they only show pain when they're in the actual act of taking damage.

Long complicated boring origin story: Okay, so you know how the "No" story was originally written for the "Flawed" theme? This story, "Laugh," was what I was actually aiming for (Vexen experimenting on young Axel and Saïx), so I'm glad I finally managed to write that plot bunny properly. The HP bar stuff occurred to me last-minute, though. My original plunny for "Laugh" was actually a cute (and platonic) Saïx/Olette story, which meant I obviously couldn't post it as part of F&M. (Coming up with an AkuSai version was much harder.) Now that Taliax inadvertently helped me figure out how to flesh out the SaiLette, I'll be able to write and post it separately.

Complete: 38/101. Next: "Torture."


	39. Torture (theme 39)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**39. Torture**

Summary: Sometimes, even shielding every bit of flesh from neck to toe isn't enough. Thanks a lot, Belle.

o.o.o

Axel knew it was going to be a bad day when a herd of Berserkers showed up during his Wonderland mission, seized him, and dragged him into a dark corridor. (Sometimes the lesser Nobodies' stupidity could get really irritating. Seriously, was "Put me down, you morons, I can walk by myself!" _that_ hard to understand?) By the time they reached their destination and Axel had been dumped unceremoniously on the ground, he had pretty much figured it out.

They were in the courtyard of Beast's Castle, which was empty. Axel climbed to his feet, shooed away the Berserkers, took off his coat and boots in case his hunch was right, then went tip-toeing up to the castle doors. The secret side-entrance would have been better, but he would have to avoid using those noisy dark corridors whenever possible.

Inside, Saïx blended well with the shadows beneath the stairs, and it took Axel a minute to spot him. The redhead left the front doors cracked open - even if the castle servants came and closed them later, it would at least buy Saïx some time. Axel crept as quietly as possible across the front hall and then crouched down before his old friend.

Saïx, kneeling as still as a statue with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut, nevertheless could obviously sense him. He would have caught Axel's scent from the moment he set foot in this world; he could hear the fabric of Axel's clothes creasing with each movement. His lips parted slightly, though no sound came out. An large, angry red mark stood out vividly on his pale cheek. The silver candlestick that had caused it was still lying on the floor nearby.

After a long pause, Axel reached out and gently touched a lock of the other's hair. _"Sai. Look at me."_ _'So I can talk to you, moron,'_ he added in his thoughts.

Very slowly, those golden eyes cracked open.

It had been ages since Axel had needed to use sign language, so he was a bit rusty; some of the words he would have to spell out in letters. Luckily, the first question was easy. _"T.L.?"_

The answer was a long time coming. _"...10."_

_'Well, wonderful,'_ Axel thought. _'There goes the rest of my day, and my evening, and probably some of the night, too. Tomorrow'd better be a Vacation Day, or so help me...'_ What he actually asked with his hands was, _"G-U-A-R-D?"_

Saïx gave an infinitesimal, affirmative nod. _"Yes."_

Axel grinned a little. _"Yes W-H-A-T?"_ he signed obnoxiously.

Agonized as they were, those golden eyes could still narrow in a glare.

Axel shook his head. _"All right, all right."_ Then he signed, _"L-A-T-E-R."_ When Saïx was a little more functional.

Saïx bared his teeth a little. _"I hate you."_

Axel blew a soundless kiss. _"You know you love me."_ Then he sighed silently and very carefully positioned himself so he could keep an eye on both the hall and his friend, ready to chase off any Heartless or distract any castle inhabitants who might wander by.

There wasn't really much Axel could do at Level 10 besides stand guard and tell stories, both to try to distract Saïx from the pain and to prevent Axel from going out of his mind with boredom. He made the wavy motion that had come to mean _"Once upon a time. Boy, D-E-S-E-R-T,"_ pause,_ "S-T-R-T-R-A-T, princess..."_ Having to spell out half of those forgotten words took longer, but at least he could see the tension in Saïx's face relax just slightly, as the Diviner concentrated on trying to puzzle out the letters that were running together. _"Once upon a time, there lived a boy, a street orphan, who lived in a far-off desert place and fell in love with a princess..."_

By the time Axel ran out of the cooler stories and had resorted to princesses, Saïx was shifting around a little, he was able to press his hands harder over his ears, and he kept wincing instead of his face being frozen in that permanent expression of agony.

_"C-O-A-T?"_ Axel asked when he had finished "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

Saïx nodded, and Axel helped him take it off, watching in vague sympathy as the berserker reacted strongly to the sound of the zipper being unfastened. At last, Axel was able to set the coat aside, its stiff material no longer able to crinkle with every tiny movement. Saïx, exhausted from maintaining the same position for so long, gingerly lay down, and Axel helped move his hair aside so that he wouldn't have to feel as much of it being crushed.

_"No ice cream C-U-Z-O-F you,"_ Axel pouted. Those poor kids were probably wondering where the heck he was. _'Sorry, Rox, Xi,'_ he thought. _'I'm not gonna be able to make it to the clock tower today.'_

Saïx opened his eyes again and stared at him for a long time. Then his hands slowly came away from his hyper-sensitive ears to sign, _"Sorry."_

Axel blinked. Then feigned great astonishment. _"SORRY? You?"_

Another glare. _"Shut up."_ The eyes slid away, no longer meeting Axel's. Hands rose again. _"...Thank you."_

Axel posed theatrically. _"I'm about to die of shock!"_

_"Shut UP."_

When he finished "Sleeping Beauty," Axel knew it was dinnertime because he could smell stuff that made his mouth water (and was making Saïx grimace). He had never gotten to eat lunch and was starving by now. _"T.L.?"_ he asked.

_"5."_

Axel nodded. "You can eat, then," he spoke in the barest of whispers.

Saïx flinched at the mere suggestion. _"NONONONONO."_

"You _need_ to eat. Trust me. I'll be back." Saïx was reaching out insistently, but Axel ignored him and got up, gliding away as quietly as possible.

He came back (after stuffing his face behind the cooks' backs) with some dry bread and water he had stolen from the kitchen. Saïx's eyes were fixed apprehensively on the bread. "Trust me," Axel whispered again. "Driest, most tasteless thing I could find." Saïx's gaze slid, almost pleadingly, to the water. Axel rolled his eyes. "Fine...water first, but _then bread_." Stupid nanny instincts. Even as a Nobody, he couldn't seem to get rid of them.

After he had gotten Saïx to eat, he told more stories until he had run out and it was late in the evening. Roxas and Xion were probably wandering around like lost kittens, as Xigbar said they did whenever they didn't have Axel to entertain them. "Torture Level?"

_"2."_

"You think you can make it back?"

Saïx opened his mouth in a silent sigh, closed his eyes, and nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna open a corridor now."

Saïx turned away, crushing his hands harder over his ears in preparation.

The castle was quiet when they returned. Axel made sure Saïx was settled, got him to sign a Vacation Day note with less bullying than he anticipated, posted it in the Grey Area, then headed off to Roxas's room.

The kids were drowsing on the bed, discarded video game controllers strewed across the sheets as a racing game's victory sequence looped endlessly on the TV screen. As soon as Axel entered the room, Roxas and Xion leaped to their feet, sleepiness forgotten.

"It's Axel!"

"Axel's back!"

They ran to him before he had even taken two steps.

"You didn't come to the clock tower!"

"Where were you, Axel?!"

He couldn't very well say that he'd been nursing their boss through an extreme allergic reaction. "Ah, just out and about..."

The next morning (_late_ the next morning - though it would have been even later if he had remembered to turn off his stupid alarm clock), Axel came into the dining room to find Saïx alone, nursing a cup of coffee and sluggishly going through mission reports. The red mark on his cheek had faded significantly, though it was still noticeable.

"How'd it happen, anyway?" Axel asked, sitting down with a plate of waffles.

"The girl," Saïx mumbled. "Belle. Thought I was a Heartless in the shadows. Threw that candlestick at me and ran." He gulped down more coffee, eyes firmly fixed on his reports.

Axel laughed. "I should write her a thank-you note. Got us a nice vacation."

"Shut up."

"Aw, don't be mad, Sai. Wasn't _that_ bad, was it?"

"YOU try having all your senses ludicrously inflated," Saïx snarled. "And losing a work day, and dealing with two aborted missions, and having to explain to Lord Xemnas why-" He shivered a little without finishing.

"You know what I hear, Sai?" Axel sing-songed. "A loooot of ingratitude. What happened to 'Thank you _so_ much for waiting on me hand and foot yesterday, my dear Axel!' or 'I don't know _what_ I would have done without your company, Axel!' or something sugary like that?"

Saïx crushed a hand through his hair, seeming more fixated on his reports than ever. "...Thank you," he mumbled. "You...really...helped me out."

"Sorry, _what_ did you say? Coooouldn't quite catch that."

A golden-eyed glare emerged from the strands of blue hair. _"Don't push your luck."_

Axel grinned. "You're welcome, Sai."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Hey, Taliax, I finally figured out what Saïx is allergic to in the CatC universe! :D

**I know nothing about sign language, urgh... They're not using American Sign Language here (it's Radiant Garden Sign Language, lol), but still. :/ Sorry...**

Silver makes all of Saïx's senses hyper-sensitive, in case I didn't make it clear enough. And apparently Axel is quite used to having to deal with Sai's allergic reactions. :p

This story, along with "Gleam," is one of my favorites in this series so far.

Complete: 39/101. Next: "Hands in the Air"

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**39. Torture [challenge version]**

Summary: Sometimes, even shielding every bit of flesh from neck to toe isn't enough. Thanks a lot, Belle.

o.o.o

Definitely a pain when Berserkers burst into your Wonderland mission and drag you into a dark corridor. By the time they reached Beast's Castle, Axel had figured it out.

After shooing away the Berserkers, he took off his boots, then tip-toed to the castle doors.

Inside, Axel finally spotted Saïx in the shadows beneath the stairs. He crept across the hall and crouched by his old friend.

Saïx, kneeling completely still with his hands over his ears, cracked his eyes open. He had caught Axel's scent from the moment he set foot in this world; he could hear the fabric of Axel's clothes creasing with each movement. A large, angry red mark stood out vividly on his pale cheek. The silver candlestick that had caused it was still on the floor nearby.

Axel hadn't used sign language in ages, so he was rusty; some of the words would have to be spelled out. Luckily, the first question was easy. _"T.L.?"_

_"...10."_

Wonderful. _"G-U-A-R-D?"_

An infinitesimal nod. _"Yes."_

_"Yes W-H-A-T?"_ Axel signed with an obnoxious grin.

Even agonized, those golden eyes could still narrow in a glare.

Axel shook his head. _"All right, all right."_ Then he signed, _"L-A-T-E-R."_ When Sai was a little more functional.

Saïx bared his teeth slightly. _"I hate you."_

Axel blew a soundless kiss. _"You know you love me."_ He settled down, ready to chase off Heartless or distract any castle inhabitants who might wander by.

Axel couldn't do much at Level 10 besides stand guard and tell stories, to distract Saïx from the pain and himself from boredom. He made the _"Once upon a time"_ gesture. _"Boy, D-E-S-E-R-T,"_ pause,_ "S-T-R-T-R-A-T, monkey..."_ Having to spell out half those forgotten words took longer, but Saïx's tense face relaxed slightly as he concentrated on puzzling out the string of letters.

When Axel ran out of heroes and had resorted to princesses, Saïx was shifting a little, pressing harder on his ears, and kept wincing instead of his face being frozen in that agonized expression.

_"C-O-A-T?"_ Axel asked after finishing Sleeping Beauty.

Saïx nodded. Axel helped him take it off and set it aside so that its stiff material no longer crinkled with each tiny movement. Saïx, exhausted from maintaining the same position for so long, gingerly lay down.

_"No ice cream today,"_ Axel pouted, thinking of the kids.

Saïx opened his eyes again and stared. His hands slowly came away from his hyper-sensitive ears to sign, _"Sorry."_

Axel blinked. Then feigned astonishment. _"SORRY? You?"_

Another glare. _"Shut up."_ The eyes dropped. _"...Thank you."_

Axel posed theatrically. _"I'm gonna die of shock!"_

_"Shut UP."_

After Cinderella, Axel knew it was dinnertime because of the mouthwatering smells that were making Saïx grimace. Axel had missed lunch and was starving. _"T.L.?"_

_"5."_

Axel nodded. "You can eat, then," he spoke in the barest of whispers.

Saïx flinched at the suggestion. _"NONONONONO."_

"I'll be back." Ignoring Saïx's expression, Axel got up and glided away.

He eventually returned with bread and water. "Driest, most tasteless thing I could steal from the kitchen," Axel whispered. After getting Saïx to eat, he told more stories until late in the evening. "Torture Level?"

_"2."_

"Can you make it back?"

Saïx closed his eyes and nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna open a corridor now."

The castle was quiet when they returned. Axel got Saïx settled, made him sign a Vacation Day notice, posted it in the Grey Area, then headed for the Thirteenth room.

Roxas and Xion were delighted.

"You're back!"

"Where were you?!"

"...Nursing our boss through an allergic reaction."

"Come on, Axel, where were you _really_?"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Hey Taliax, I finally figured out what Axel's sleep-talk line in CatC meant! :D

**Silver makes all of Saïx's senses hyper-sensitive in this fic, in case I didn't make it clear enough. And apparently Axel is quite used to having to deal with Sai's allergies. :p Also, I had to cut this out of the challenge version (the full version is 1,500 words), but Belle had caught a glimpse of Saïx in the shadows, thought he was a Heartless, and threw a silver candlestick at his face before running off.**

**And I know nothing about sign language, urgh... They're not using American Sign Language here (it's Radiant Garden Sign Language, lol), but still. :/ Sorry...**

Heh, the full version of this story, along with "Gleam," is one of my favorites from this series so far. I've been waiting for ages to be able to post it.

Complete: 39/101. Next: "Hands in the Air"


	40. Hands in the Air (theme 40)

_Fire & Moonlight_, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl

40. Hands in the Air **(ROUGH DRAFT)**

Summary: Axel and Saïx infiltrate a secret laboratory.

o.o.o

"Why does she even _have_ that lever?" Saïx snarled as he stormed back inside, giving the crocodile behind him a brutal kick. It scampered away with an injured whimper, and Saïx irritably shook himself to get rid of all the water. Not that he, in his heartless state, could actually get angry about all this, but the sheer levels of indignity warranted SOME kind of reaction, even it exceeded what he was usually inclined to display.

Axel was laughing too hard to do more than bring up his hands as a feeble shield against the brief shower. "Saïx, the only thing funnier than watching you walk around as an _actual dog_ is seeing you stroll in with a crocodile attached to your butt."

The blue-furred animal's eyes began to cloud over with an ominous yellow haze.

"Whoa! Hold on, I didn't mean it, I'm not laughing anymore," Axel burst out, even though he was still trying to hold back giggles. "C'mon, I'll let you pick the lever this time."

Their first mission together in six months, and of course it would be one where Saïx ended up on the wrong end of a bottle of maroon potion. He was starting to remember now why he usually scheduled himself for solo assignments. "That one."

"All-righty, then! As Luxord says, let us see what fate has in store for us this time!" He yanked on the lever.

Which in turn yanked the world out from under them.

At least, that's how it felt as the two Nobodies were flung into a roller coaster car. They were too busy trying to catch their breaths to really pay attention to the recorded message now playing: _"Please remain seated, and keep your arms and legs in at all times."_

"What did it say?" Saïx panted faintly.

"I dunno, I'm still-"

The car dropped.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" ...is what they both would have been screaming if they still had hearts, seeing as how they were now hurtling down an insanely steep and twisting track at absolutely ludicrous speeds. As it was, Saïx merely closed his eyes and started an experiment to see how creative he could get with swear phrases before being censored, and Axel whooped like a little kid.

"Faster, faster! Saïx! Put your hands in the air! I mean, your paws! Whatever!"

"You are a _moron_."

"Ha ha, I haven't heard that juvenile an insult from you in almost four years. Good for you, Sai!"

Saïx tried to make a furious retort, but then wished he hadn't, since what actually came out was a canine bark. "I mean...stay focused, we're on a mission!"

"Does that mean this is all gonna end up in the mission report?"

"NO."

Then they were dumped out quite abruptly, where it took them a few seconds to realize that they were somehow now wearing lab coats over their Organization uniforms. Extremely ill-fitting lab coats. Saïx was practically drowning in mounds of white fabric, and the coat Axel was squeezed into looked like it was made by Jack Skellington's tailor.

"Help," Axel gasped, searching frantically for a belt to untie or a zipper to undo or _something_.

"Bark! I mean...gah!" Saïx tore into the coat and began ripping at it with his teeth.

Finally managing to discard the outfits, they crept around the lab until they found what they were looking for: a shelf filled with row after row of small maroon bottles.

"Find the human one, hurry," Saïx said urgently.

"Whaddaya think I'm _trying_ to do? Though I would like to try you out with this bunny one..."

"AXEL."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This probably makes no sense if you haven't seen _The Emperor's New Groove_. Funniest Disney movie ever, I can't wait 'til it makes its KH debut!

Complete: 40/101. Next: "Harmony"


	41. Harmony (theme 41)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**41. Harmony**

Summary: The castle's youngsters celebrate Christmas.

A/N: I think this takes place during their first or second year as Nobodies.

o.o.o

"Okay, Saïx, your voice is a little better than Axel's, so you should do the 'Merry Christmas' parts. Axel, you're, like, bouncier, so you do the 'Ding dong's."

"Dem, that sounds wrong...and whaddaya mean I'm _bouncier_?"

"Zexy, since you can actually, yanno, _sing_, you can just make random pretty 'ahhh' noises behind the rest of us."

"But...I don't-"

"Dude, it's not a science experiment, just go with the flow. You'll be fine."

The Organization's four youngest members were gathered in Demyx's room on Christmas Eve, in quiet defiance of the older members' 'No holiday celebrations' pronouncement at the last meeting. Zexion had not come willingly, and Xigbar might have joined them if they'd made the offer, but, hey, the castle's teenagers had to stick together.

"Okay, you guys ready? One, two, three, _go_!"

The song fell apart about thirty seconds into it, when Axel broke into laughter at Zexion's uncertain 'ahh's and Saïx's deadpan 'Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas'es, and could not stop.

"Dude! Axel! Professionals do not keel over in hysterics in the middle of a performance!"

"Demyx, the day I become a professional singer is the day Xemnas will announce his engagement to Kingdom Hearts."

Both of them sniggered, though Saïx said dryly, "Axel, remember the time we found a pair of bunny slippers in Lexaeus's room? I'm starting to think you have a disturbing magical ability to make your jokes come true."

"Lex has fluffy bunny slippers?" Demyx said interestedly.

Zexion had turned away and covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm not hearing this, I'm not hearing this, I'm not hearing this..."

"Zexion, eat a cookie," Axel ordered, seizing one off the plate and waving it in front of the boy's face. He was pleased to note that the younger Nobody ate it on his own this time, without Axel having to shove it into his mouth as Saïx held his arms behind his back like they'd done last time. "See? I _told_ you that sugar's worth breaking the rules for."

Zexion did not look convinced, but neither did he protest.

An hour or two passed as they lounged around, talking about anything but work, and occasionally fiddling with the gifts they'd exchanged - just little things, knick-knacks picked up from other worlds and synthesis items and such. Axel wondered if he could get away with attaching a Fire Shard to the zipper of one of his coats without one of the higher-ups having a problem with it (Zexion assured him that he could not).

Eventually, a quiet lull fell over the conversation. Demyx, who had been quietly strumming on his sitar the whole time, now struck a low but decisive chord. _"Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells..."_

One by one, they lifted their voices without being prompted. _"Christmas is here, bringing good cheer..."_

_"One seems to hear words of good cheer..."_

_"Gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer..."_

This time, no one laughed. Not all the voices were clear or polished, but they were steady and tuneful enough, and it did not take long before the four of them reached a perfect harmony.

_"...their joyful tone to ev'ry home..."_

Axel brought the song to a close. For a moment, they all sat without speaking, listening to the ringing silence.

Then Axel sighed and flopped back, resting his hands behind his head. "Of _course_ we non-existent people would sing the most depressing Christmas song ever."

"It's not depressing, it's _haunting_," Demyx said, though his voice seemed strangely flat. "There's a difference."

Saïx leaned back as well, so that the two of them lay side by side. "At least it's not the creepiest Christmas song ever," he remarked. Axel burst into laughter.

"What? What's the creepiest Christmas song ever?" Demyx demanded, his voice lighting up with interest.

Axel and Saïx turned their heads to face each other at the same time, sharing a grin as they began to sing in unison. _"You better watch out, you better not cry..."_

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Man, this is an old one, back from the notebook where I was still working on HetaOni stuff and K's "gender-bending" fic. Also written before I decided Sai was a good singer.

In case you don't know, the creepy Christmas song is "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." The lyrics are online.

Complete: 41/101

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**41. Harmony [challenge version]**

Summary: The castle's youngsters celebrate Christmas.

A/N: I think this takes place during their first or second year as Nobodies.

o.o.o

"Okay, Saïx, your voice is a little better than Axel's, so you should do the 'Merry Christmas' parts. Axel, you're, like, bouncier, so you do the 'Ding dong's."

"Dem, that sounds wrong...and whaddaya mean I'm _bouncier_?"

"Zexy, since you can actually, yanno, _sing_, you can just make random pretty 'ahhh' noises behind the rest of us."

"But...I don't-"

"Dude, it's not a science experiment, just go with the flow. You'll be fine."

The Organization's four youngest members were gathered in Demyx's room on Christmas Eve, in quiet defiance of the older members' 'No holiday celebrations' pronouncement at the last meeting. Zexion had not come willingly, and Xigbar might have joined them if they'd made the offer, but, hey, the castle's teenagers had to stick together.

"Okay, you guys ready? One, two, three, _go_!"

The song fell apart about thirty seconds into it, when Axel broke into laughter at Zexion's uncertain 'ahh's and Saïx's deadpan 'Merry Christmas'es, and could not stop.

"Dude! Axel! Professionals do not keel over in hysterics in the middle of a performance!"

"Demyx, the day I become a professional singer is the day Xemnas will announce his engagement to Kingdom Hearts."

Both of them sniggered, though Saïx said dryly, "Axel, remember the time we found a pair of bunny slippers in Lexaeus's room? I'm starting to think you have a disturbing magical ability to make your jokes come true."

"Lex has fluffy bunny slippers?" Demyx said interestedly.

Zexion had turned away and covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm not hearing this, I'm not hearing this..."

"Zexion, eat a cookie," Axel ordered, seizing one off the plate and waving it in front of the boy's face. He was pleased to note that the younger Nobody ate it on his own this time, without Axel having to shove it into his mouth as Saïx held his arms behind his back like they'd done last time. "See? I _told_ you that sugar's worth breaking the rules for."

An hour or two passed as they lounged around, talking about anything but work, and occasionally fiddling with the gifts they'd exchanged - just little things, knick-knacks picked up from other worlds and synthesis items and such. Eventually, a quiet lull fell over the conversation. Demyx, who had been quietly strumming on his sitar the whole time, now struck a low but decisive chord. _"Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells..."_

One by one, they lifted their voices without being prompted. _"Christmas is here, bringing good cheer..."_

_"One seems to hear words of good cheer..."_

_"Gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer..."_

This time, no one laughed. Not all the voices were clear or polished, but they were steady and tuneful enough, and it did not take long before the four of them reached a perfect harmony.

_"...their joyful tone to ev'ry home..."_

The song came to a close. For a moment, they all sat without speaking, listening to the ringing silence.

Then Axel sighed and flopped back. "Of _course_ we non-existent people would sing the most depressing Christmas song ever."

"It's not depressing, it's _haunting_," Demyx said. "There's a difference."

Saïx leaned back as well, so that the two of them lay side by side. "At least it's not the creepiest Christmas song ever," he remarked. Axel burst into laughter.

"What? What's the creepiest Christmas song ever?" Demyx demanded, his voice lighting up with interest.

Axel and Saïx turned their heads to face each other at the same time, sharing a grin as they began to sing in unison. _"You better watch out, you better not cry..."_

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Man, this is an old one, back from the notebook where I was still working on HetaOni stuff and K's "gender-bending" fic. Also written before I decided Sai was a good singer.

In case you don't know, the creepy Christmas song is "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town." The lyrics are online.

Complete: 41/101


	42. Eat (theme 45): challenge edition

**Author's Note****:** I am temporarily, semi-giving up on this challenge. Here is the game plan: Earlier today, I re-uploaded all the previous chapters to include both the full-length and challenge versions. (Some of them haven't changed much, but the longer ones are drastically different.) I have decided that I'm just going to leave them that way rather than collecting the full versions at the end, and I'm no longer going to put much effort into making the challenge versions as pretty as possible, I'm just going to hack them up until they meet the word limit and then not worry about them anymore.

Right now, I am posting some of the uncut drafts of F&M stories I've already written, even though they're out of order. I didn't take the time to cut them up for now, I'll save that for when I work on the final draft of this challenge. I'm not going to re-arrange everything back in order when I finish the challenge, either, because that will just cause too much confusion. (And yes, I _will_ finish the challenge eventually, just not soon).

In a few days, I will update with some more stories, and then a few days after that, I will finish up with the rest of the F&M stories I have so far. When I finish the giftfics and stuff I've been working on (which is taking waaaaaayyyyyyyy longer than I thought it would! :O), then I'll focus on finishing and editing F&M.

*deep breath* Sorry about all this...word count limits are really stressful and remind me of school, I just couldn't handle it anymore. *wince* These theme challenges are supposed to be fun, right...?

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Eat (Theme 45) [Challenge edition] (rough draft)**

Summary: It's tough trying to be a dignified teenage boy when your little sister loves ponies and neither of your stepbrothers has a problem with that.

**A/N: The story I wrote for this theme is so narmy that I couldn't bear to cut it at all, even with a full version included. So I wrote a totally different story for the challenge (this takes place in the **_**Stepsiblings**_** universe; Sai & Axel are teenagers, Xion is Saïx's little sister and ten years younger than him; Roxas is eleven years younger than his brother Axel. Also, Saïx has magical talking eyes. XD).**

**The real (and canon) AkuSai version of the Eat theme is the "chapter" after this, and is not cute like this one is.**

**Axel's POV (even though the summary makes it sound like it's from Saïx's, lol).**

o.o.o

"I'm hungry," Roxas announced as soon as we came to pick them up.

"Me, too," Xion immediately chimed in, swinging her book bag and accidentally whacking me with it.

"I'll make you something when we get home," Saïx said in a Don't Argue voice as he signed the kids out.

"But I'm hungry nowww!" Roxas whined, yanking on my arm so hard that I nearly fell over.

"Okay, okay!" I laughed. "Where do you want to eat?"

"MCDONALD'S!" the kids crowed in unison as Saïx glared _annoyance exasperation_ at me.

"Oh, stop it, Sai, I'll pay for it."

"That's not the issue. We need to go home."

"We'll be quick, we can eat on the way if we have to."

"...I _want_ to go home."

"You always want to go home."

He couldn't understand, when we got there, why I insisted on buying four Happy Meals instead of just two. "We're sixteen, we don't need _toys_."

"But it's fun!"

"Our definitions of that particular word _differ_. Drastically."

"Oh, just shut up and see what you got," I ordered, trying to hide my gleeful anticipation. I'd made a request of the cashier that had made her give me a weird look.

"PONIES!" Xion exclaimed rapturously. She stared lovingly at her new purple toy for a minute, then eagerly dove at Saïx's meal to open his.

"Oh my gosh," I gasped in delight as Saïx's eyes widened in horror, "it's Moonwolf Crescent in the flesh!" The toy was a shiny blue unicorn with a silvery mane and tail, and a crescent moon stamped on its butt.

"He's beautiful," Xion whispered admiringly.

"That monstrosity is male?" Saïx said disbelievingly. I was too busy cracking up to answer.

Roxas tugged at the plastic packaging of the toy from my own Happy Meal, and I tore it off for him. "Oh, look," he said. "It's the furryfame."

We all stared at my orange pony with crimson hair and teardrop-shaped flames decorating its butt. "It totally is," I said in disbelief, holding up Teardrop Flurryflame for closer inspection.

"Saïx, open mine," Roxas demanded, shoving it at him.

Saïx did so, and for Xion, too, before she could ask.

"Ooohhh," Xion cooed joyously when her purple key-adorned pegasus came to light. "Sorry, Twilight Sparkle, but Dawncrest Tide is my new favorite."

"Hi, Katana," Roxas said to his own pony (gold with a key-shaped butt mark like Xion's). He happily stabbed its face into his burger. "Here's some food."

"His name's not Katana," Xion protested, "it's Sunset Keyblaze. Katana is what you called Glimmerbreeze when you turned her into a boy."

"My pony is Katana," Roxas said stubbornly.

I shook my head, setting T.F. down next to Moonwolf. Saïx scooted away as if the ponies had cooties. "This is so weird," I said, "it's like someone planned it..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Such as someone with fangirl author powers of customization, mwa ha ha.

I had so much trouble coming up with **pony names for Roxas & Xion - Taliax ended up creating them first, actually. She let me borrow them. X3**

TALIAX. MADE. THE MOST. ADORABLE. MOONWOLF CRESCENT MY LITTLE PONY. 8D 8D 8D Lol, and then she made a Teardrop Flurryflame, too. XD (Her own brilliant visual design, not mine.) (Lolol this author's note is so old XD) AND NOW the pony siblings are complete with Xion and Roxas, and then also Vanitas for good measure. X3 I'mma just link to her whole plushies gallery: maltytoast. webs apps/photos/album?albumid=13328190

Complete: 42/101


	43. Eat (theme 45): real edition

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Eat (Theme 45) [Real edition] (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel was never the same after that.

A/N: Let's just assume for this that most of the Organization joined up within the first couple of years or so, and there was a looooong gap between Larxene's and Roxas's initiations, 'kay? **Btw, this is a more serious one - at least, it would be if it wasn't so **_**freaking narmy**_**...**

o.o.o

Saïx noticed it almost from the beginning, as soon as Axel came back battered and subdued from that first assassination assignment. It took him quite a while longer, however, to realize that it was more than just a temporary condition.

He frowned at the reflection in the bathroom mirror and set down his hair gel bottle. "Have you lost weight?"

Axel, getting dressed after his shower, gave him a mildly annoyed look. "I dunno. Why?"

"...Oh, _nothing_, it's just that I never used to be able to see your full rib cage before. And you've still got circles under your eyes, by the way."

"Yeah," Axel muttered, turning away and reaching for a clean tank top. "Staying up late playing video games every night will do that to a guy."

"You stayed up late with video games long before-" He did not miss the way Axel's shoulders tensed. "...Long before your promotion. It never made you look like someone punched you in the face."

"Saïx, lay off."

Their conversation was starting to attract mild curiosity from the others. "...Whatever."

After that, he paid more attention. Axel had used to eat like the teenager he was, wolfing down mounds of tacos for breakfast, packing lunches that barely fit into his backpack, whining and complaining over the stove in the evenings just so he could have steak or roast beef or whatever for dinner. His metabolism was fast and they all tended to get enough exercise just from the demands of the job, so Axel had never been overweight; but his calorie intake was substantial.

Now Saïx watched as Axel first stopped putting together quite such big piles of food for his meals. Then just made do with a couple of tacos for breakfast, brown-bagging lunch, warming up pizza for dinner. Pouring a bowl of cereal every morning and maybe taking off for work with a couple of granola bars in his pockets. Nibbling at a muffin. Walking off empty-handed, claiming he'd just buy lunch in whatever world he was assigned to that day. Coming home to toss something in the microwave and then wandering off again without spending a moment more than he had to in the kitchen.

"Axel. You need to eat."

Axel gave him an indignant glare from where he was lounging in front of a movie with a bag of popcorn. "I _am_ eating, moron."

Saïx picked the bag out of his hands before he could tighten his grip on it. "_This_ is not food. This is fluff, packed with sodium and congealing in something that falsely claims to be butter."

"It's _tasty_ fluff. Give it back."

Saïx corridored the popcorn into a trash can on the floor below. "I'm making dinner. Come help me."

Axel hesitated. Then he shook his head. "Geez, you're acting like my mommy. For the record, you're way too creepy to be anyone's mom."

"Axel, _Larxene_ weighs more than you."

"Oh, for crying out-"

"Literally."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Last week's physical assessments. Zexion let me the records. Vexen's debating whether to pronounce you unfit to continue in your duties."

Axel surged up at that. They both knew what it meant. The Organization had no room for dead weight, but they had plenty of room left in their ranks of Dusks. "Just let that old fart _try_ and shelve me, I can kick his butt any day-"

"Come help me make dinner, first."

Axel paused, then narrowed his eyes. "Saïx."

"I don't have to lie in order to get you to do what I want."

Axel sighed. "Whatever. I'll help you do your stupid cooking."

He ended up eating one. _One_. Out of the whole batch. Saïx said nothing, but he still remembered very well what frustration felt like.

It got better, eventually. At the price of some of Axel's personality...his eyes no longer sparkled the way they used to, much of that youthful energy was gone. His face took on that hard edge the older members had, the edge that Saïx knew had long ago taken over his own expression. Yet at least Axel could come home from those "special missions" in his usual spirits, rather than with that unsettling quietness; even though it was usually processed junk, at least he _ate_ enough to pass every single fitness and mobility assessment.

It was better than nothing. Still, Saïx couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't good enough.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Wah, so much narm... DX This is the first chance I've had to write something like this, though, and I found it interesting. I didn't feel like trying to come up with a different idea. Again, most of these are just the first thing I think about when I see the prompt. And ftr, no, Axel was never actually anorexic or bulimic.

Complete: 42/101


	44. Fantasy (theme 46)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Fantasy (Theme 46) (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel doesn't like this song anymore.

A/N: Man, coming up with an idea for this theme was, to my surprise, _really_ hard for me. I finally did think of something, but I don't like it.

o.o.o

_"Stacy, can I come over after school...?"_

One of Axel's playlists was going in the background as they worked. Axel had finally buckled down to do some cleaning, since he was planning to bring Roxas and Xion up to stay with them during the kids' Spring Break.

_'Not children anymore,'_ Saïx remembered. Seventeen and sixteen, yet he and Axel had both thought of them as 'the kids' up until this past weekend. _'It's so strange how much things can change so quickly...'_ He had given in and was helping Axel clean even though his share of the chores had already been done. _'It is...nice, however, working together,'_ he thought, a little apprehensively (as if Axel could somehow read his mind).

_"Stacy, can't you see you're just not the girl for me? I know it might be wrong, but I'm in love with Stacy's mom..."_

Saïx paused. _'Wait.'_ He was noticing the lyrics now, thinking of them in a new light.

"Stacy's mom has got it goin' on," Axel was singing along absently.

"You know," Saïx remarked, "this song reminds me of something now."

Axel paused. Thought a moment. "N...No, I don't know what you're talking about."

"High school student, should be in love with other high school student because they spend a lot of time together, but is instead actually in love with friend's older family member..."

"Sh-Shut up, it's completely different!"

"I suppose it _is_ a gender-switched version."

"I'm _not_ Roxas's mom, I'm not a cougar, I'm not old enough to be her freaking dad-"

"I seem to recall you wandering around, a few months ago, with only a towel on in their presence-"

"I'd just showered, that's not-!"

"Regina walked out on you recently, didn't she. I'm sure you think you could use another girlfriend-"

"Gaaaahhh, cut it out! It's _not like that_!"

"Mm-hm."

There was a long pause, during which the song ended and some romantic Disney thing started up.

Axel finally swore and reached for his music player. "Dang it, Saïx Tsukino," he mumbled as he started accessing the delete function, "I don't like that song anymore..."

"What's wrong with 'A Whole New World'?" Saïx deadpanned playfully. "Personally, I find it to be among the most tolerable of your selection."

"You know what I mean, shut up."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Hmmm, I am going to keep the backstory behind this one a secret. For the record, I think that the song in question is hilarious but VERY BAD. *lecture face*

Complete: 43/101


	45. Venom (theme 47)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Venom (Theme 47) (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel & Saïx's first Christmas at the Castle That Never Was.

A/N: This takes place before "Harmony" and makes more sense if you've read _No Need To Hide_.

Btw, I wrote all these long before _Dream Drop Distance_ was released and even now, I mean...I've trained myself to write the emotionless thing so well that now it's _difficult_ trying to switch back. So I won't even bother unless the story calls for it. XD

o.o.o

It had not taken Axel long to figure out why everyone in the Organization went to bed so early. A seven-days-a-week-365-days-a-year work schedule was wearying even _with_ good sleeping habits.

Tonight, however, was special. This Organization might be run by a bunch of Scrooges, but no way he was gonna let Christmas go by without a word of acknowledgement.

"Isa?" The Luna Diviner's room was empty. Axel frowned, then went back out again, wondering where Saïx could possibly be at this time of night. "Saaaiiiiix, where aaaare you...?" There was no one in the bathrooms, or the kitchen. Axel finally came across his friend in the Grey Area. "Oi, Sai, whatcha doing up here?"

Saïx, who had his weapon summoned in his hand for some reason, turned away from the window and snarled, "None of your business. Go back to bed."

"...Grouchy Sai is grouchy. What burr got up your butt?"

Saïx turned away without answering, and Axel finally understood.

"For crying out loud, don't tell me you're still scared of Santa Claus!"

"I'm not _scared_ of him," Saïx hissed, with as much venom as he could still project into his voice. "I can't be anymore, anyway. I'm just planning to bash his head off his shoulders if he comes anywhere near this castle."

"Saïx. Santa's not gonna bother traveling all the way to a different world to leave Christmas presents for a bunch of evil grown-up Nobodies who don't believe in him."

"I wouldn't put it past him to come here just to leave coal."

"We don't have stockings out."

"_Socks_, Axel. Stockings are just giant _socks_, which we have plenty of in this castle."

"Saïx, you are being ri-di-cu-lous."

"Don't talk to me like that! That's something my mother would say!"

They both stopped, waiting for a pang of grief. It didn't come, of course.

Finally giving up on trying to feel bad about the loss of their home and families, Axel said, "Look, just come stay in my room tonight. Christmas might suck this year, but we're gonna spend it together even if I have to stay up all night playing guard duty with you."

Reluctantly, Saïx followed him back to the Proof of Existence, still maintaining his grip on the claymore. "I shouldn't...keep you up...we've got work tomorrow..."

"Don't worry about it. If you can give up a night's sleep just to fail at remembering what it was like to be a spazzy panicking human, I can give it up, too. I'd probably just be playing video games, anyway."

Inside Axel's room, he rummaged around in his closet and came up with a wrapped gift. "Ta da! For you." He laughed. "It's the only one I bought, Christmas shopping was super-easy this year."

"Let me fetch yours. I left it in my room."

They opened the gifts right then and there, since there seemed no point in waiting until morning. "Night Howler II! _Sweet_!" Axel exclaimed, examining the game eagerly. "Heh, now I'll be the one having to hunt you down and knock you over the head to get it back when you've borrowed it for too long."

"I figured I'd save myself the trouble. Thanks, by the way," Saïx said appreciatively, giving the tiny music player a little flip in his hand. "You're right, having one of these _would_ make recon missions seem to go a lot faster."

They transferred a bunch of Christmas songs to the device and turned the volume all the way up so that they could hear music coming out of the ear buds lying on Axel's bedside table. Then they just sat for a while, talking quietly. When they finally feel asleep, a sleep that for the first time in quite a while was not perfectly empty, they dreamed of their lost hearts.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Teenage Saïx is so much nicer than yellow-eyed elf-eared Saïx... ;;

Complete: 44/101


	46. A Day in the Life (theme 58)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**A Day in the Life (Theme 58) (rough draft)**

Summary: When Xemnas & Saïx leave for a week-long joint mission, Axel's left in charge.

A/N: Takes place before _385/2 Days_. I actually wrote this before _Moonlight Seekers_, lol. XD (Same universe, btw; this is what Axel and the rest of the Org have been up to while Sai & Xem were in the Keyblade Graveyard.)

o.o.o

"_Remember_. Do NOT fall for Demyx's whining and let him have any partners, he's perfectly capable of handling solo missions."

"And that would make this the seventh time you've told me that."

"Don't send Xigbar to fight enemies he can't keep his distance from, don't pit Zexion against heavy hitters or Lexaeus against strong magic users-"

"Sai, we've already gone over all this."

"Schedules are in the blue folder, supplemental and low priority assignments in the green folder just in case, reward chart in the-"

"I KNOW."

"_Do not _sign the reports, I'll have to double-check all the paperwork when I get back; and if you forget the barricade code, you'll have to look it up in-"

Axel planted a hand over his friend's mouth, shooting him an irritated glare. "If you're so sure I'm gonna wreck everything, why didn't you get Zexion or Luxord or someone to sub for you?"

Saïx glared back, stepping out of range of Axel's arm. "You know I can't risk anyone but you having such intimate access to my records while I'm away."

Axel smiled a little. "Say it, Sai."

"I need to get going, Lord Xemnas is waiting."

"Saaaay iiiiiit."

Saïx expelled an annoyed breath. "I trust you," he said pointedly. "You're the only one I trust."

"Yup," Axel said in satisfaction.

"Please...I am _begging_ you, do not blow anything up this time, either figuratively or literally."

Axel looked a little surprised at the desperation in his tone. "Uh...okay."

Saïx stepped close again and pointed a warning finger in his face. "_I mean it_."

"O-_kay_! Man, just take off already, it'll be fine! Seriously, how hard can this job be?"

Over the course of that week, while Xemnas and Saïx were on their extended joint mission in the Keyblade Graveyard, Axel found out.

The first three days in a row, Xaldin came barging into his room at 6:30 in the morning, demanding both to be given his day's assignment and to know why Axel was still in bed and not in the Grey Area half an hour ago like Saïx always was. That, and accidentally handing Zexion and Lexaeus each other's mission briefs (with disastrous results), finally convinced Axel to lay off the video games and start going to bed before 11:00. He was obviously going to need his brain in full working order.

On the second day, he found that Xigbar had hacked into Saïx's Secret Reports and then changed the computer's access code.

On the third day, he discovered that Demyx had been hiding out in the basement all this time with his sitar, a mountain of cookies and cereal, and several Dancers, meaning that Agrabah was now buried knee-deep in Shadow Globs and a Bully Dog had been running the Beast ragged.

On the fourth day, he forgot the barrier code just as Saïx had feared, and since he now had no computer access to look it up again, Vexen ended up wandering Twilight Town until midnight trying to locate and destroy his target.

On the fifth day, it became apparent that Luxord had somehow been cheating his way into four times the amount of mission rewards he should have earned, and Demyx was found hanging out in the basement again, this time with Xigbar, both of whom had dumped their missions on Lexaeus.

By that time, Axel had lost all the carefully labeled folders in the mess that was now Saïx's room (the Berserkers were not happy with their master gone, even when Axel sent Assassins to baby-sit them), and he declared a vacation for the next day. He fully intended to spend it all sleeping, but that was kind of hard to do when Demyx was holding a rock concert on the floor below, and Xigbar and Lexaeus were apparently having a boss battle on the floor above, and noises that Axel prayed were not explosions kept booming from the direction of Vexen's lab along with furious screams for Zexion to "_Do something_!"

So Axel finally escaped to Twilight Town and fell asleep on the clock tower. He got home around 10:30 in the evening, grabbed something quick to eat from the kitchen, then headed for his room while trying to ignore the fact that the Proof of Existence had purple paint splatters all over the walls and tire skid marks on the floor, as well as a blue cat and a couple of chickens wandering around.

Xemnas and Saïx returned to the castle after breakfast the next day. Xemnas immediately went to check on the model of Kingdom Hearts that always hung in his bedroom window, and Saïx went straight to his own room. If he'd had a heart, he would have screamed. He didn't, so he didn't; but he did go drag Axel out of bed and back into his room and up to his desk and demand, "What did you _do_ to my _computer_?"

"I need a hug," Axel said pathetically, using his best puppy eyes.

"What you _need_ is to get kicked off the top of Memory's Skyscraper!"

"Argh, you and your cuteness immunity! Seriously, it wasn't my fault. A day in the life of Saïx, much less an entire week, is enough to kill a guy - your job is frickin' _hard_."

"He got to my Secret Reports, didn't he," Saïx moaned, headdesking on the computer after trying several key combinations.

"Yeah. Sorry."

*headdesk*

"..."

*headdesk*

"...Ice cream in Twilight Town?"

"...Yes."

They both raised their hands to open a portal at the same time.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Ao-chan is Kadaj's cat from one of my other fics. :p

Yeah. Don't get into teaching unless you're REALLY SURE THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. ^^;

Complete: 45/101


	47. Psychotic (theme 44)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Psychotic (Theme 44) [rough draft]**

Summary: This is why Saïx did not have a big sister in canon. XD

A/N: AU. The boys are age 7 and age 8 here.

o.o.o

"Saikusuuuuu!"

Curling into a protective ball even in his sleep, Saïx had a few seconds to shrink deeper into the covers before his older sister barged across the room and glomped his blanket-wrapped figure.

"Rise and shine! Get up! We're having fun today!"

"Go away," he moaned, but she was already dragging him out of bed and ruffling the tangled mess of his hair. "Look at you, 8:00 and still in bed! You're so boring!"

"It's summer vacation," he pleaded. "I want to sleep in."

"Nope! We gotta hurry, we're meeting Lea and Axel in 15 minutes, and you know how Lea gets when we're late."

"Don't make me wear the pony shirt," he begged.

"But it's so cuuuute!"

"Axel promised he'd burn it if you ever made me wear it again."

"Ugh, and I bet he would, too. Oh well. Let's see how else I can make my adorable little brother even cuter!"

Luckily, their mother caught sight of them as they were walking out the door and made Isa take the ribbons out of Saïx's hair. This did not faze Isa for long, however, and Saïx hid behind the Hayes' front door when his sister knocked on it. "We're here!" Isa yelled. "Hurry up and answer the door, lazies!"

Axel was the one who responded first. "Where's Saïx?" the eight-year-old demanded immediately.

"Back here."

"No, I'm not," came Saïx's muffled voice.

Axel went around to look. "LEA!" he shouted. "I NEED YOU!"

His older sister came out to join them, perfectly pressed as usual and nudging her glasses back up her nose with a haughty look. "Isa," she admonished, dragging the miserable Saïx out and undoing the pigtails in a businesslike manner, "what have I told you about tormenting your brother?"

"But I can't help it, he's too _cuuute_!"

"Saïx is not 'cute'!" Axel yelled at her. "He's a guy! Someday he's gonna be bigger than you!"

"That's why I gotta fit in all my squee _now_, when he's _little_," Isa explained, wrapping her arms around Saïx and squeezing him.

"Do you have a lighter?" Saïx asked his friend desperately.

"No, Mom took it away again," Axel grumbled.

"Just as she should," Lea admonished disapprovingly. "You're not responsible enough to be handling those, Axel, and too young even if you were."

"Hey, I don't need you anymore, you can go away now," Axel said impatiently. "Isa, let _go_, you're squashing him!"

It was a bit more bearable with Lea to distract his sister and Axel to help protect him. The two sets of siblings were soon headed for the train station, where Isa realized that she'd forgotten her wallet again and Axel tried to use that as an excuse to take off with Saïx until Lea ended up paying for all of them.

"Your debt is now up to 78 munny," Lea said primly, recording it in her notebook.

"Whaaat, I paid you back!"

"You paid me back for the skirt, but not for your movie ticket to _Fire & Moonlight_, the junk food purchases at Summerfest, the ice cream we stopped for on July 8th and August 7th, the entry fee for-"

"Okay, fine, I still owe you for stuff! Why am I still friends with you again?"

"Why _are_ you still friends?" Axel pouted. "Saïx, we should go find some hot guy and make them both fall in love with him so they'll hate each other and leave us alone."

Even as Saïx was considering candidates, Isa scoffed and Lea clicked her tongue. "Sillies. Me and Lea will _always_ be best friends."

"Our loyalty to each other is not one that can be broken by a mere mating quarrel."

Isa paused. "Wait, so you're saying you _would_ hate me for something more serious than a hottie?"

"That is not specifically what I was saying. I was simply allowing for the possibility of unforeseen future events."

"You're planning to dump me?!"

"I don't think you're listening to me at all."

"So you'd stick with me for a hot guy, but you'd leave me if, what, if I said I don't believe in libraries anymore?"

"You're being silly."

"What are you expecting to _happen_? Aliens will come down and brainwash me into not being your best friend anymore?"

"One _never knows_, Isa, that's all I'm saying."

"Oh! OH! Well, I'd better find my alien Mind Meld Defense Cap, because oooohh, can't have creeps from the moon coming down to turn me against my best friend who's gonna decode their alien technology and figure out their secret weakness, can I!"

"Are you even speaking English anymore, dear?"

"Maybe I should lay off the ice cream, since _zomg what if the sea-salt's re-arranging my brain particles so that suddenly I think you're horrible_?"

"Or Japanese?"

"Wait, that's right, you _are_ horrible! That's it! We're not best friends anymore! I hate you forever!"

"Does this mean I can skip the concert after all and go to the library instead?" Lea said brightly.

"Fine! I see how it is! I'm gonna have an _awesome time_ rocking out to Melodious Nocturne, and you're going to be boring! As usual!" Isa dramatically turned her back and crossed her arms. Lea pulled out a book.

"Quick, Saïx," Axel urged. "Let's make a run for it, while they still hate each other."

Saïx hadn't even gotten completely to his feet before Lea took hold of him and dragged him into her lap, resting her arms comfortably around his waist with the book still in one hand. Isa had similarly caught the mightily protesting Axel.

"Noooo!"

"Oh, shut up, I'm not gonna bite you," Isa said, kissing the side of his head.

"Are we still going to the concert?" Saïx asked unhappily.

"Of course we are, we were just joking. I can certainly tolerate even that tasteless music, as long as it's for my best friend's sake."

"I hope the aliens really do come and turn you both into zombies," Axel stormed.

"Why?" Isa laughed. "Lea will just blow up their mothership and save the world, anyway."

"I appreciate your confidence in me, dear."

"Love you always, Lea. Love you, too," Isa added more forcefully, squeezing Axel hard around the stomach.

"_Ow_!"

Saïx sighed and didn't bother fighting, knowing how futile resistance would be. "What are you reading?" he asked instead.

"A recommendation from a friend, I doubt you'd be interested."

"I'm not interested in any of this."

"True. _And so there I crouched, helpless to escape as the axe hacked apart more and more of the closet door, knowing I was inches from death as my former wife's psychotic laughter echoed just beyond_-"

"This book sucks," Axel declared.

Lea closed it and slipped it back into her bag, keeping one arm around her captive's waist. "I'm inclined to agree with you."

"Hmmm, _how else_ should we pass the time, Lea?" Isa asked mischievously.

"Well, we do have two younger brothers at our mercy..."

"Gah, leave us ALONE!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Wow, this one was dumb. (It looked _way_ better in my head, before I actually wrote it down.) I'd originally intended it as a _Luna Diviner_ installment, but it's so stupid and so obviously AkuSaiLeaIsa_whatever_ instead of Saïx/Isa, I eventually decided to stick it in F&M instead, where it'll hopefully get lost in the shuffle. I picked the most difficult theme to assign it to so I wouldn't have to get frustrated about trying to come up with a "Psychotic" anymore. XD

Complete: 46/101


	48. Ghost (theme 52)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Ghost (Theme 52) [rough draft]**

Summary: Young Axel & Saïx are enjoying their visit to Disney Town.

A/N: Not sure how old they are here, except that it's when Saïx still had some Isa left in him.

o.o.o

First vacation in Organization XIII history? _Of course_ they were going to Disney Town, duh!

"_No_, Lea."

"Whaaaat?"

"We eat sea-salt almost EVERY SINGLE DAY. You're trying something different, for once."

"Noooo, not my sea-salt!"

"One Donald Fizz and one Milky Way, please," Saïx mercilessly told the ice cream seller.

"But...but...!"

"Shut up and expand your tastes," Saïx ordered, brandishing the two desserts as if they were weapons. "Pick one."

"...But the blue one has a mouth. I don't want to eat something that still has a _mouth_ on it."

Saïx rolled his eyes. "Take the other one, then."

"But it's not blue!"

"One-third of it is."

"It's not even ice cream! It's, like...fluffy!"

"Or I could eat both of them and you can go ice-cream-less."

"Jerk."

Even Axel, however, couldn't keep pretending to pout when it came time to discover what the effects were. His sent him swooping up into the air almost as if he was in Neverland. "Whoooo!"

"That looks fun," Saïx said appraisingly.

"What's yours do?"

"Well, I don't know."

They both waited for a minute. Nothing happened to Saïx.

"It's a dud," Axel finally declared.

"At least it's still delicious," Saïx said in resignation, taking another bite. Then he started walking over to catch up to his wind-tossed friend.

"Whoa!"

"What?"

"Do that again!"

"Do _what_ again? All I did was walk."

"Yeah, walk!"

Saïx cautiously took another step.

"No, faster!"

Saïx obligingly jogged a few steps, and noticed a disorienting skip, as if he'd forgotten the last few seconds.

"Coooool!"

"_What_?" Saïx said in confusion.

"You have freaking after-images, man!"

Saïx looked behind himself and saw nothing.

"Run, Isa! Oh, no, I know, jump!"

Ghost Drive was more amusing to the observing Axel than to Saïx himself, but that was all right, since Axel readily offered to switch flavors with him next time.

"_Will_ there be a next time?" Saïx wondered cautiously.

"Man, if they don't give us another vacation day, we'll just take off and _make_ one."

"Constantly defying authority isn't the best way to stay in their good graces."

"Man, who cares about their good graces."

"Well, anyone who wants an easier time getting his own way."

"Yeah...I kinda fail at that, though..."

"Yes, I know. Which is why I do it for both our sakes."

"Heh. And then I'm the one who mouths off at them half the time so that all the groveling won't drive you crazy."

"Sometimes _you're_ the one who drives me crazy..."

"What, only sometimes?"

"I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt," Saïx grinned.

"Heh...that ice cream turned your tongue blue. It matches your hair."

"Wonderful. Now we have to stall here until the rest of the Organization has retired for the night by the time we return home."

"Anything to save your dignity. _Such_ a hassle," Axel teased, sweeping out an arm to indicate the rest of the park.

"At least we won't be bored in the meantime."

"Nope. C'mon, we're riding that one next."

"Slow _down_."

"Hurry _up_!"

"Always in such a rush..."

"Hey, at least I never run off somewhere you can't follow."

"I only did that twice..."

"Yeah, well, from now on, do it never."

"All right."

"Fine."

They smiled at each other a little and continued on at a matched pace.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: 235 words of unnecessary banter before they finally gave me a The End opening, geez. That's almost half the story. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 47/101


	49. Anything (theme 55)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Anything (Theme 55) [rough draft]**

Summary: They're bound for life. Neither of them minds.

A/N: Faerie AU. I'm not sure how old they are except that they're at least young adults.

o.o.o

It wasn't a cage, but it felt like one. Technically, he could go anywhere he liked, but it wouldn't matter. The suffocating cold would still be there like a disease, tormenting him until they decided he'd had enough and "learned his lesson."

He couldn't stand it...anything that would have ordinarily offered warmth was of no use now; even his own fire was sealed. They'd relent faster if he broke down, if he begged for mercy and showed more than the most unavoidable signs of discomfort, but the thought of giving those Seelie monsters even the slightest satisfaction was more unbearable than the cold. So he simply sat in the sunlight he couldn't feel and tried to wait it out, sustaining himself with memories of his murdered family, feeding the rage.

It surprised him when someone approached whose intent was not to mock or command or cause further torment. "Wh-What are you d-doing her-re?"

"So it's true." Saïx stood there staring at him. "Is this because of what you said at dinner last night?"

"Y-Yeah. And m-mouthing off to th-the Instruc-ctor, and ref-fusing a j-job, and flirt-ting with the p-princess again-n..."

"Why do you keep doing things like that?" Saïx asked in bewilderment. "Why don't you simply obey and avoid all this?"

"B-Because I d-don't want to b-be dead ins-side like y-you."

Saïx considered this. "You would rather suffer?"

"H-[Heck] yeah."

"...Which one is better?" the Luna Diviner asked apprehensively.

"I d-dunno, man. Y-You'd rather d-die than let them-m hurt you, I'd-d rather get t-tortured ten times w-worse than let-t them snuff-f me out l-like they did my f-family. What-ever you th-think is r-right."

"Whatever _I_ think is right?" Saïx said dubiously.

"F-For you. Wh-Whatever y-you think is right-t for you."

"...And this...this is right for you?" Saïx said, gesturing at the enchantment.

It was more difficult to say than he had expected. "Yes."

"...Do you want me to go away?" Saïx asked quietly.

"_No_."

Saïx looked a little surprised. And relieved. "Oh." He sat down close to Axel and closed his eyes. Axel stared at him for a while, wondering if Saïx was seriously going to just sit here ignoring him.

After a while, though, he realized that he didn't feel quite so awful. There was a sort of peace beneath the pain, a spot of calm in the midst of the fury. He reached for it, and-

It was warm. Nearly crying with relief, Axel drew as much of his being as he could into that warmth, basking in it, realizing belatedly what it was. "Ohhhh," he whispered. "Your heart... I didn't know it could work like this..."

"I thought I told you already that our hearts are connected," Saïx said, so softly that Axel was not quite sure whether he was hearing his friend's voice or only his thoughts.

"Can you do this from a distance?" Axel asked instead. "They'll forbid you if they see you keep hanging around me whenever I get in trouble."

"I've never tried it."

So Saïx went away, but it did not feel like he did, since until they came hours later to release him, Axel sat there and rested in the warmth of his friend's presence through a connection that transcended all circumstance.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This was a failed attempt at the AkuSai drabble I wanted to kick off _This Kind of Love_ with. I didn't think it was quite good enough for that purpose, and re-reading this now, I kind of hate it, and I'm glad it occurred to me to write the other idea instead. *sweatdrop*

This takes place in the same universe as the "Her" theme, though it's set a long time before that story (during the prequel, in fact). Saïx's characterization in that universe is different than in any other story I've written him in so far. He seems a little OOC, but I think it's plausible enough that he might act that way under those circumstances. Though neither this fic nor "Her" really show enough of his characterization to give an accurate impression.

Complete: 48/101


	50. Switch (theme 60): challenge edition

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Switch (Theme 60) [Challenge edition] {rough draft}**

Summary: Roxas has a dilemma.

A/N: Takes place before the final scene of the Days manga, volume 2.

Argh, both Saïx & Roxas are a little OOC (Roxas should hate him more), and it's SaiRoku and RokuShi rather than AkuSai, but I don't care anymore. DX

o.o.o

It was nearly midnight. _Why_ was someone awake and wandering around at this hour?

...Well, obviously Saïx himself was up and about at this hour, but he had legitimate business to take care of. Surely the young idiot Keybearer had no such excuse.

"Oh - hi, Saïx."

"Why aren't you in your room, Number XIII?"

"I'm not sleepy. Xion's not in her room, either; do you know where she is?"

"I can't see why that would be any business of yours."

"Of course it's my business, we're friends! I've been worried about her."

"You think you're cute, acting just like a human," Saïx said disapprovingly. "It seems that certain members of our Organization have been a bad influence on you."

"Uh...okay." It was obvious that Roxas had no idea what he was talking about. "Saïx, do you know anything about girls' switches?"

Sacred moon, how in the world had they ended up in a conversation like this? "...I suggest you take your questions on the matter to Axel."

"I did. He just said that girls were complicated and I should leave them alone. But I _can't_, I messed up and somehow I pressed Xion's switch without meaning to, and now she's mad at me and we can't eat ice cream anymore."

_'Did he suffer a brain injury on his last mission? What in the worlds is he talking about?'_

"I've been trying to figure out how to tell her I'm sorry. Demyx and Xigbar told me to buy her a dozen red roses, a box of chocolate, and something called longer-a, but I don't know where to get that stuff."

Saïx definitely needed to have a talk with Numbers II and IX. Possibly a violent one.

"By the way, do _you_ know what longer-a is? Axel wouldn't tell me, he just said my ice cream was melting like he does when he's trying to change the subject."

"Such matters are no concern of a Nobody. If this preoccupation of yours will be interfering with your mission performance, I insist that you clear things up with Number XIV as soon as possible."

"I'm trying! But she's avoiding me."

"Write a note."

"Ohhh...that's a good idea, Saïx."

"Then go to bed. Fatigue will negatively affect your mission performance as well."

"Okay." Roxas set off at a more purposeful trot, and Saïx continued on in the other direction, hoping the matter was now settled.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Heh, this was drafted back when I was drowning in AkuShi from HAIW. ^^;;;;

Complete: 49/101


	51. Switch (theme 60): real edition

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Switch (Theme 60) [Real edition] {rough draft}**

Summary: Axel & Saïx get to experience being each other for a day.

o.o.o

It was the closest he'd come to feeling emotion since he'd been a Somebody. _'Holy Kingdom Hearts, why are there children in my bed?'_

Saïx edged away and got to his feet, staring at Roxas and Xion, who cuddled closer to each other while still asleep. _'What in the...?'_

Then he saw the clock. "Sacred MOON, how did this happen?!" It was _six o'clock_. He was so _late_!

Whirling to the closet, Saïx yanked the first coat he could reach off its hanger and corridored to the bathroom; ripped off his nightclothes - he'd been wearing more than that when he went to bed, hadn't he?; and flung himself into the shower, ignoring an odd look from Lexaeus. Something already seemed very wrong, but it wasn't until he noticed that the hair he was rinsing was blood-red rather than blue that he realized what it was. _'?!'_ He stumbled out of the shower again and to the mirror...

"Are you all right this morning, Axel?" Lexaeus asked dubiously.

"I'm...fine," Saïx murmured automatically.

"You seem...enthusiastic today, I don't believe I've ever seen you up this early.

"Those energy shakes Marluxia brought home from the last shopping trip apparently work wonders." Saïx pulled on the coat and found the sleeves stiflingly close-fitting. _'This is outrageous. Someone has some urgent explanations to make.'_

It was important that he get to the Grey Area as soon as possible, but...this matter definitely needed to be tended to first. He 'returned' to his room and was confused about the lack of small people in his bed before it occurred to him that the room he had awakened in must have been Axel's. _'Kingdom Hearts help you, Axel, _what_ exactly have you been up to with our newest members...?'_

Well, he could ask, since his bed was not entirely unoccupied. A blue-haired, scar-faced person was sprawled amongst the sheets, snoring lightly and completely unresponsive to the alarm clock that had apparently been ringing for over an hour. Saïx pressed the Off button. "AXEL."

The blue-haired Nobody jumped. "I didn't do it," he mumbled.

"Wake up, you fool. Something's happened."

Axel sat up at once. "What about Roxas & Xion?!"

"Speaking of which..."

"AHHHH!" A flaming chakram appeared. Which was interesting. "I'm going to _kill_ Vexen!"

"I'm not your replica, I'm Saïx," Saïx said in annoyance.

Axel paused. Then he grinned. It was extremely strange for Saïx, seeing an expression like that on his own face. "Come to think of it, this is actually pretty sweet - you can do my missions for me, and I can sleep all day."

"I'm _not a replica_, and even if I was, there is no way Saïx would - I mean, _I_ would let you get away with such a thing."

Axel studied him. "You're really Saïx?"

Saïx summoned his claymore.

"Whoa...that looks super-weird."

"You're one to talk."

"Okay, one more test - what is Saïx's worst fear?"

"My promise still stands to shove a Frisbee down your throat if you ever tell a soul."

Axel grinned again. "Yep, you're Saïx all right. Ho ho ho."

"Shut up."

"Heh heh...how'd you end up in my body?"

"Presumably the same way you ended up in mine."

Axel stared. Then looked down at himself. "I got fat." He slowly reached up to touch the ridges of scar tissue on his face, then grasped hanks of long, shaggy blue hair and stared at them. "Flaming..._pants_."

"So you know nothing about this?"

"_No_! Are you crazy?! Who did this to us!?"

"I hope to find that out shortly. Get out of bed, I'll need your help."

In the bathroom again, Luxord looked up from brushing his teeth, obviously surprised. "Pretty late for you, Diviner. Is today still a work day?"

"Nope," Axel said cheerfully.

"We're not sure yet," Saïx growled.

Luxord gave them an odd look.

Saïx tried to grin. It was rather uncomfortable. "We need to discuss some things with the...'boss-man,' first."

Axel cracked up laughing. Saïx would have knocked him over if it wouldn't have made _him_ look even more undignified and ridiculous.

"You feeling all right, Saïx?" Luxord asked cautiously.

"Stayed up too late processing mission reports," Saïx growled. "_Right_, Saïx?"

"Don't glare so much, _Axel_, your face might freeze that way," Axel said sweetly.

"Luxord, we're going to talk about card games now," Saïx said firmly.

Axel insisted on checking on the children first ("UGH! You are _disgusting_!" "What else am I supposed to think after seeing your sleeping arrangements?" "There was a thunderstorm last night!" "That was the most blatantly unsubtle subject change I've ever heard." "It wasn't a-! Xion-! I wasn't-! _Argh_! I'm not a freaking pedo!"). They ran into Numbers XIII and XIV in the Proof of Existence.

Axel gripped him hard and hissed in his ear, "_Be nice to them_, or I will CRUSH your dignity."

Saïx did not doubt that for a second. He put on the biggest smile he knew how to make. "...Mornin', kiddos!"

The children were already edging toward him and giving Axel nervous looks. "Good morning, Axel," Xion said in a small voice, gripping Saïx's sleeve hard even though its unseen gaze seemed to be fixed on the real Axel.

"Morning," Roxas replied to Saïx, though his eyes were fixed on Axel as well.

Axel grinned. "Grr, I am a scary werewolf."

Roxas's eyes widened. Saïx gathered them both together in a hug, his intent clear: _'Guess what _I'm_ going to crush if you don't cease immediately.'_

Axel coughed, folded his arms, and looked stern. "Why aren't you...incompetent, sorry excuses for Organization members in the Grey Area?"

"It's not even 7:00 yet," Roxas said angrily. "Half the Organization's still asleep."

"I don't care. How do you expect to be promoted if you're not slaving away collecting hearts before this world's version of the crack of dawn?"

_'I'm not _that_ unfair,'_ Saïx thought in what would have been annoyance if he still had a heart. "...Lay off, Saïx. Cut the kids some slack."

"Okay, I'll do that."

_'Axel, you are a horrendous actor.'_

"Um, are you guys okay?" Xion asked cautiously.

"We're peachy, X- ... Xi."

"You sure? You're acting weird," Roxas said, fixing him with an appraising look.

_'Can he tell, somehow?'_ Saïx wondered uneasily. "I think there was something weird in that-" Saïx had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at Axel's dietary choices. "-pizza I ate last night. Saï- Er, Sai and I - and _me_ - are going to check something out. You guys go on and get ready for work, all r- okay?"

After a moment, they nodded and padded off, stealing dubious glances over their shoulders.

"That was awful!" Axel wailed. "Don't ever make me do that again!"

"That's my line," Saïx grumbled. "Come on, we need to find Vexen..."

"You think this is all Cryptkeeper's fault?"

"It's the most obvious lead to check first, at any rate."

Vexen was not in his laboratory/bedroom, the kitchen, or the Grey Area, though the latter had a few disgruntled earlybirds in it (Saïx made Axel stay out of sight - he wasn't ready to deal with how to handle the effects on today's missions yet). They were just about to ascend Naught's Skyway when they heard voices. Both Nobodies immediately ducked behind a wall.

"When will you know if the experiment was a success?" Xemnas was asking.

"I merely need to observe the subjects firsthand, since their speech and mannerisms will be a dead giveaway. I've already heard that they've been acting strangely this morning, and you said yourself that Saïx has failed to report to you as usual. All I need is a confirmation, and then we can proceed."

_'Proceed with _what_?'_ From the look on his - Axel's - face, Saïx's partner was thinking the same thing.

"Very well. I shall leave it to you." Xemnas swept away, and Vexen's footsteps were heard approaching down the ramp. No time to run; corridors would be too noisy. The Luna Diviner and the Flurry of Dancing Flames shared a single long look. That was all they needed.

Then Saïx purposefully rounded the corner and broke into a grin. "Well, if it isn't the very fugitive I've been looking for! What's the matter, Vex? You look nervous. Relax, they just sent me to find you, I'm not out for your head." He winked. "Yet."

"Wh...What?" Vexen gasped in nervous confusion.

Axel now came around the corner. "There you are. Get to the Grey Area at once, we've lost enough time already with this mess."

"What mess?" Vexen asked, sounding eager.

"I'd rather not have to repeat myself," Axel said coldly. "I shall inform the whole Organization of the situation at once." He snapped his fingers, summoning several Dusks. "Bring the other members to the Grey Area." The Dusks obediently slithered away.

Vexen was staring from one to the other. "So today's irregularities have some...external cause? How do the two of you feel?"

They stared back. "What are you talking about, Vex?" Saïx said.

"Is this your idea of stalling for time?" Axel wondered ominously.

Vexen gulped. "N-No. Of course not, I was simply curious. Excuse me, gentlemen." He corridored away.

Axel laughed. "Nice one, Sai. Didn't think you had it in you."

"You couldn't have done that earlier? Come on."

After a frantic ten-minute crash course in mission-organizing, Axel swept imperiously into the Grey Area with Saïx sauntering at his heels.

"What's the big idea, Moony?" Larxene snapped. "You'd _better_ not have dragged me out of bed this early for something stupid, or I'll-"

"Or you'll _what_?" Axel snapped. "Do enlighten us, Number XII."

"Hmph." She folded her arms and looked away. "Just brief us already so I can see if you're wasting my time or not."

To Saïx's displeasure, Roxas and Xion had edged over to him and were now standing uncomfortably close. "What happened, Axel?" Roxas asked in a low voice, as the rest of the Organization pestered the real Axel.

_'I'm Axel, I'm Axel, I'm Axel,'_ Saïx told himself firmly. "Dunno, kiddo. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I hope nothing bad happened," the replica worried. Saïx forced himself to pat it on the head.

"SILENCE, all of you," Axel thundered. "It has recently come to my attention that several Heartless of an unusual nature have surfaced."

"I hope you're not talking about those gumball machines," Xigbar said with a wink.

Axel struggled to keep his expression stern and not burst into laughter. "The Rare Vendors and their ilk hardly warrant such a change in routine," he said coldly instead. "No, the new enemies' strengths and abilities are much more alarming, and it seems they are traveling from world to world."

"Whaaaaat?" Demyx exclaimed in dismay. "You're not gonna make us chase after these things alone, are you?!"

"Indeed. It is urgent that all begin preparations at once and depart as soon as possible. Number IX, you are to search Atlantica for any sign of the Heartless in question, and eliminate them if they are found. The rest of your assignments are here, come see me when you are ready."

"Ah, better get this over with," Saïx sighed, going up to take the fake mission brief Axel handed him.

Roxas stared at his assignment with a growing smile, as Xion's eyes lit up beside him. "Me and Xion get to go together?"

"He's probably afraid you two'll get eaten if you go alone," Saïx snorted, just barely managing to keep this tone playful rather than scathing.

"Hey!" the children exclaimed, as Axel covered his mouth with one hand.

"We can handle it," Roxas insisted.

"But we've been ordered to team up," Xion said hurriedly, "so we shouldn't argue."

Realization crossed Roxas's face. "Oh. Yeah, we shouldn't argue. Bye, Saïx; see you later, Axel."

"Be careful out there," Saïx responded, raising a hand in farewell. As soon as the children were gone, Saïx gave Axel a hard look (_"Meet me as soon as you can get away"_), and Axel nodded in acknowledgement (_"Of course I will, chill"_). Then Saïx opened a corridor to Neverland, where he waited.

Presently, Roxas and Xion came along, which would have surprised him if he was still capable of being surprised. He hadn't realized Axel had sent them to this world.

"What are you doing here, Axel?" Roxas asked.

Saïx ran his hand through his hair to buy time, just like Axel always did. "...Well, you know. I was chasing the Heartless, but I lost it once we got here."

"Let's look for it together," the replica offered.

"Yeah! That's a good idea, Xion," said Roxas.

_'Ugh.'_ Unfortunately, he had no good reason to refuse, so Saïx reluctantly glided around the islands with the children, staying alert to any sign of Axel's approach as he endured the young Keybearers' inanities.

"Neverland's weird how you have to dive down to pick up prizes when you kill stuff."

"It's because we get to fly here."

"Yeah."

"I like this real flying better than Gliding."

"Yeah. Flying's fun. What do you think, Axel?"

_'I DON'T CARE.'_ "It's the best, man."

_Finally_, a dark portal opened below, and Saïx flew down to meet his partner at once as the children trailed hesitantly behind him. "Yo, Sai! What's up?" he asked, coming to a hurried landing.

"Coast is clear," Axel responded, shooting him a thumbs-up. "Let's go back to the castle and get this mess fixed."

Saïx glared, and could sense the children staring. "You feeling all right, _buddy_?" he asked pointedly.

Axel waved his hand in total unconcern. "Oh, you can drop the act, there's no one around now."

"_No one_?" Saïx growled, wrapping one arm around Roxas and the other around Xion, and dragging them close in demonstration.

Axel just laughed. "They don't count, we can let 'em in on it."

"What's going on?" Roxas asked suspiciously.

Saïx let go of the Keyberaers and stalked a few paces away as Axel explained, "Me and Saïx switched bodies. We're trying to figure out how to switch back."

The younger ones stared.

"_This_ is Axel," Saïx said sulkily. "I'm Saïx."

"Yup!" Axel grinned.

The children stared some more. "What?"

"I don't understand."

Saïx resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Look," Axel said, blowing out a slightly exasperated breath, "I really am Axel. When we woke up this morning, Saïx was in my body, and I'm in his. We think Vexen and Xemnas have something to do with it, so we were thinking-"

"Whaaaaaat?!"

Numbers XIII and XIV were far from the most intelligent Nobodies in the Organization's ranks, so it took quite a lot of tiresome and undignified demonstrations ("Oi, stop doomgazing my Keybearers") before they were finally convinced. They ended up clinging to Axel, staring at Saïx in horror as if this was all his fault.

"...so I was thinking you might be able to help us, Xi," Axel finished. "You know Vexen's stuff pretty well, maybe you can root through it and find something that'll switch us back."

"I'll try," Xion said doubtfully. "But what about the Heartless?"

Axel and Saïx looked at her blankly. "What Heartless?"

"Our _target_," Roxas clarified, obviously withholding the word _idiots_.

Saïx sighed. "We made up that story to get everyone out of the castle. We need to be able to search at our leisure."

"Whaaaat?!"

Ugh.

"You guys'll get credit for defeating the super-Heartless," Axel laughed. "Then no one except maybe Xigbar will wonder why they never found it."

"We'll have to call them back as soon as this situation is resolved," Saïx said, making a mental note. "We can't have them wandering the worlds indefinitely on a useless mission..."

Once they returned to the castle, Axel and Roxas went on "Superior Patrol" to keep an eye out for Xemnas, as Xion calmed down Vexen's Nobody servants so that she and Saïx could look around for any kind of switching potion.

"Sacred _moon_."

Xion looked over as Saïx slammed a drawer shut. He leaned his forehead against the upper cabinet, closed his eyes, and just stood there for a while.

"Are you okay, Ax- Saïx?" she asked cautiously.

"...Did that drawer truly contain what I thought it did?"

"Oh, you mean the dismembered-?"

"YES, all right, thank you." Saïx shuddered. It had nothing to do with emotions at all, it was pure reflex.

"Hey, Saïx, I think I found something that might work..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Heh, I'm sure they get revenge on Vex eventually.

Complete: 49/101


	52. Much Better (theme 88)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Much Better (Theme 88) [rough draft]  
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Summary: Food is not the only thing he needs in order to thrive.

A/N: _Stepsiblings_ universe (AU though), Xion's POV. Direct sequel to _Stepsiblings: Her Eighteenth_. (I forgot to mention Kairi in that story, btw, but I'm pretty sure she'd be with them for Xion's birthday, too.) And this isn't all that AkuSai-ish, but whatever.

o.o.o

At the restaurant, Roxas and I hugged each other for, like, five minutes straight, then we dragged our brothers in, and it felt so unbelievably sweet to have them in my arms, all of us together again.

"Why did we bother showing up?" Kairi pouted playfully, and I laughed and let go so I could hug her, too, then my lovely Riku and even Naminé while I was at it.

Axel and Roxas and I couldn't seem to shut up, all talking over each other and interrupting each other and spewing chatter and excitement at each other. Kairi got Riku and Naminé involved in a conversation underneath that, leaving Saïx to actually acknowledge the waitress's existence and get us all settled at a table. "_Shut up_," he Spoke. Then, speaking aloud quickly before he could lose the lull, "We're ordering our food. I've already asked for mine; Xion, what do you want?"

"Cake!"

"Obviously," he said, letting some _exasperation affection_ seep through as well. "What _food_ do you want?"

"Cake is food," Roxas teased.

"That's the kind of thinking that gets you where Ax-" Saïx stopped talking as he actually looked at Axel. "...What do you want, Xion?" Saïx finally asked again, eyes still on our brother.

"Um, lasagna," I said quietly. I don't think Axel even realized we were talking about him, he was frowning at the menu like it was written in a language he wasn't fluent in.

"Pizza," Roxas said immediately.

"Roxas, we're at a nice Italian restaurant, don't waste it on pizza!"

Axel finally said, "I think...I'll just get-"

"By the way," Saïx interrupted forcefully, "I forgot to mention it earlier, but I'm paying the entire bill. I hope you all are ordering exactly what you want."

Axel's eyes lit up. "_Oh_! Then I'm gonna get this special here, and the stuffed breadsticks, aaaaaand guess I'd better go with that salad with the chicken strips, and I'm thinking maybe some soup on the side..."

"Geez, Axel, glutton much?"

Restaurant portions are _huge_. My appetite is not small but I still nearly always have leftovers, and I don't remember Axel ever eating more than half of his. Tonight, though, Axel ate in swift bites throughout the conversation, having to stop and swallow more than once when he tried to talk with his mouth still full. The entree was three-quarters devoured, the breadsticks nearly gone, the soup half finished, and he was _still eating_. Making his way through the salad now, a little slower, but still more purposefully than I was used to seeing.

"Geez, Axel," Roxas remarked. "I've never seen you pack it away like that before."

Saïx hadn't said anything for a long time. He had been watching Axel, no doubt taking in every detail I had noticed earlier and more: the forearms that looked way too easy to snap; the hollowed cheeks and dark circles under dull green eyes; the undyed auburn hair hanging in a tired, unraveling braid over one shoulder, not even close to the thick crimson mane it once was.

_anger pain guilt anger_

"I'm hungry, man," Axel grumbled.

_fury pain ANGER_

"Geez, Sai, what your prob-"

Saïx suddenly seized him by the collar and jerked him close. His voice was tight and fierce as he dictated quietly, "_You are coming to live with me_, Axel."

The silence stretched on until we suddenly realized that there wasn't going to be any snappy comeback. That maybe the fact that we couldn't quite see Axel's face was intentional.

"So how's your food, Naminé?" Roxas boomed.

"Oh...um, it's good."

"Pass the sauce, will you, Xi?" Riku said.

"Oh! Um, sure." I sucked in an annoyed breath as I misjudged my hold a little and got sauce on my finger, then gasped in surprise and laughed a little when Riku surreptitiously licked it away. My eyes flicked automatically to my brothers - if Saïx tried to doomgaze my boyfriend for being boyfriendey, I would _punch_ him - but they hadn't even noticed.

Axel was laughing a little in this slightly hysterical way, as Saïx murmured softly to him, "You're falling apart."

"I know, man, I know, man, I _know_, uuuugghhh, I'm moving in as soon as the lease ends next month, gah, Saïx, my brain feels like it's full of, like, that, I forgot what it's called, when you can't pay your TV bill so you turn it on and stare at it for a while and it's like 'bzzzzzt' all black and white until you get a headache..."

"Finish your soup."

I felt like throwing something at someone. Or screaming in frustration. I hadn't realized it was this bad, I hadn't known...gaaahhh, I _hated_ them. I would _never_ let anything like this happen to us ever again. I should have broken the rules, I should have just come and checked on him more, if we were careful no one would have gotten in trouble, Daddy has _so much_ and I've never been hungry in my life and all this time my own brother was...I will _never_ let this happen again. I can't stand this.

But Axel was sitting there slumped and exhausted-looking, eating steadily, almost leaning on Saïx like he couldn't keep sitting straight and yet somehow, looking more at peace than he'd been all day. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could finally collapse, not having to strain to carry it anymore. I wished he wouldn't think he has to _pretend_ so much, maybe we could have helped him sooner...

I could see Axel whenever I wanted to now, so I tried to come over every day. I always stopped somewhere on the way, barged in with way too much food, pretended my eyes had been bigger than my stomach and if I ate another bite I'd puke, so I'd shove it in his slowly filling refrigerator because I 'didn't wanna be bothered carrying it all home.'

I knew that Saïx came a lot now, too, and Axel would go over there, moving his stuff a bit at a time. Roxas doesn't have much money but he'd come over as often as he could, too, and sometimes the four of us would manage to catch each other at the same time - Saïx grading papers and Roxas and I doing homework and Axel lounging on the floor, eating the pizza or tacos or chicken we brought and chatting with us all as we worked.

Axel had already moved all his stuff by the time the lease ended, so I went to Saïx's after they'd had a couple of days to settle in.

"Sai-Sai!"

"Hello."

I could sense that he was agitated as I hugged him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said, Speaking enough _frustration exasperation anxiety_ that I knew it was obviously Something.

"Is Axel okay?"

"Axel is _wonderful_," Saïx growled.

"Where is he?"

"In the shower."

"Has he finished unpacking everything and stuff? You guys need any help?"

Now Saïx was the one who looked like he was about to lose it. "I don't need any of the sort of help you have to offer."

I looked around to make sure, but there didn't seem to be anything that needed sweeping or dusting or washing or anything. "Not even ice cream?" I finally tried, hoping the teasing would get him to let some sort of explanation slip.

"ICE CREAM?" he burst out, and I tried not to smile. "I suppose you mean to search for ice cream in the freezer, which I wish you luck with since it is packed entirely full, thanks to the most recent shopping excursion used with _my_ credit card but _not_ my permission, even more grievous since I can't even tell how bad the damage is because SOMEONE lost the receipt _somewhere_ in this MESS..."

"What mess?"

"THIS," he stormed, gesturing violently.

I looked around. There didn't seem to be anything particularly out of the ordinary. Actually, it kind of looked more like a normal homey house than the spotless everything-at-right-angles-to-each-other way Saïx usually kept it. "The house looks nice."

"I feel like strangling something," he hissed.

"Did you look in his pants?"

"_What_?"

"Some people shove stuff in their pockets and then toss their pants in the laundry basket without remembering to check for stuff they left in them first."

"Who _does_ that?!"

I _didn't_ say 'Everyone except you and Daddy.' I just went and dug through pockets until I was able to triumphantly place a crumpled printout in my brother's hands.

Saïx stared at it like it was written in Greek. "How did you know?"

"Feel better now?" I asked, kissing his cheek.

_EXASPERATION relief_

"You're welcome."

"...Thank you."

Axel started to waltz out of the bathroom naked, yelped when he saw me and dove back behind the door, then called, "Oi, one of you toss me the So Sleek, would you?"

"I don't feel like doing you any favors," Saïx growled as I hunted through the shopping bags on the counter. Seeing the new box of bright red hair color made me feel ridiculously happy.

"Here," I said, going over to give it to him.

"Thanks, princess."

"Towels aren't just for drying off, you know."

"Sorry..."

Later, as Saïx and I sat at the dining room table trying to concentrate on our work through Axel's whooping at the football game on TV, I smiled and reached over to set my hand over my brother's. "It's nice having him here, isn't it."

"He is going to drive me insane. I remember now why I hated him for a while."

"You don't hate him."

"...I don't," Saïx sighed.

I looked over at Axel again. He still seemed a little worn-down, but his face had filled out a bit, his hair back in its proper crimson spikes, his spirits almost as energetic as when he'd been a teenager. "He looks so much better now."

"He does."

"Thank you, Saïx." I made sure to look him straight in the eyes when I said it, so he couldn't miss even a drop of my sincerity. "Thank you. It really means a lot to...well, to all of us."

"He's my brother," Saïx grumbled. "I couldn't just...do nothing."

"You're very nice."

"Every day, he gives me more reasons to want to throw him out again."

"But you like seeing him happy, don't you?"

We happened to look over at the exact moment when Axel looked at us, his face alight and eyes shining.

"I do appreciate seeing him happy again," Saïx said softly.

"Hey, are you guys talking about me?"

"Maybe," I said mischievously.

"Hey!"

I patted the chair next to me. "Come over and sit with us."

"But the gaaaame...!"

"Ah, that's right, you moved in with Sai-Sai just for the TV."

"DON'T BE STUPID." Axel crossed the room in two bounds and plopped into the chair. "They're losing, anyway; I'd rather hang out with you two nerds."

"I'd rather hang out with you than do homework..."

"Finish your homework relatively soon and we can go out together somewhere," Saïx grumbled. Axel and I both stared at him in surprise.

"Really?"

"Why not?" Saïx said defensively.

"'Cuz you'd be doing something _nice_!"

"I'm trying to get you out of my house so you'll have less chances of abusing it," Saïx snapped.

"Right," Axel said affectionately, trying half-successfully to ruffle his hair.

"Hold on, lemme text Roxas," I said. _"finish hmwk fast were going out tonite"_

_"im done. coming"_

_"liar"_

_"do it tmrrw"_

_"finish tonite!"_

_"c u soon"_

_"saix will make you"_

_"ill lie"_

_"hell know"_

_"lol"_

_"HE'LL"_

_"3"_

"Roxas is coming," I said.

"Far be it from us to step out as an incomplete set," Saïx said sarcastically, but I could tell he was getting in a better mood.

"Well, technically we'll have to meet somewhere." That was the downside of Axel moving in with Saïx, it would be kind of a pain now trying to get Roxas involved in things.

Axel sighed. "A year and a half left to go..."

"We can handle it," I said soothingly, even though it made me kind of depressed, too. "We made it this far."

"Roxas is resourceful," Saïx said. "He knows how to present me by now."

"You mean he's figured out how to get you out of the trouble he gets you _into_ in the first place," Axel said, a little hesitant.

"He takes after his eldest brother," Saïx said dryly, which made Axel smile.

"Hey," I said, "stop distracting me, I wanna finish so we can go out sooner."

"_You're_ the one who dragged me away from the game!"

"That was before Sai-Sai said we could go out!"

"Are you _still_ calling me that?" Saïx said in exasperation.

"Saiiiiix, I'll finish tomorrow morning before school, I promise."

Saïx hesitated. Then sighed and started stacking papers into his briefcase. "I'm sure Roxas won't be complying with the same requirements, so it wouldn't be fair to hold you to them. My students can wait an extra day. Very well; let's go."

"YES!" Axel and I whooped in unison, and Saïx smiled.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: FFN ate half of Roxas's text-heart again, and I'm sure MMO will freak out about it too, argh. Only DA cooperates with that. *sweatdrop*

This little mini-series (there are a couple more installments in the works) is definitely AU because I just can't imagine Axel & Saïx letting it get this extreme for so long...the problem is that I haven't figured out how they can get around it. This is kind of like how it would have been in the main universe if they'd followed the rules more and had more things go wrong, I guess?

Man, I could _not_ figure out how to end it...and this time it wasn't even the characters' faults, either; they kept side-eyeing me and making up more stuff as the camera kept rolling. *sweatdrop*

I don't plan my inspiration at all, I just try to keep up with writing all the plunnies that come to me. (If I go too long without writing them, they just recycle themselves into new story ideas until I finally _do_ write them.) Sorry if they're not the best stuff to read, guys. :/

Btw, I have a lot of other _Fire & Moonlight_ stories whose drafts I'd finished earlier and which I'd _intended_ to post before this, but for some reason, I felt like posting this first. *sweatdrop* Hopefully it will clarify some things about _Her Eighteenth_ while still not revealing spoilers...?

Complete: 50/101


	53. Don't Worry (theme 57)

How to Get an Uncooperative Orphan Into a Dead Troll's Castle to Live Happily Ever After With a Princess, Her True Love, and Six Kittens

(rough draft)

A Kingdom Hearts fanfic by Raberba girl

_For (a very late) Axel/Saïx Day, 7 August 2012_

Summary: Saïx never wanted a cat, much less an obnoxious talking one. Axel could have done just fine wandering the streets on his own, but then he'd be kittenless, see? Platonic AkuSai "Puss in Boots" retelling for Axel/Saïx Day 2012.

A/N: **"Trollanort" is a fandom name for Young Master Xehanort.**

This story ended up being not very AkuSai-ish at all, but whatever.

Lol, this was initially meant to be a standalone one-shot, but I decided at the last minute to attach this story to one of the _Fire & Moonlight_ prompts and knock out another installment of the challenge. XD

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Drabble challenge by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Don't Worry (Theme 57)**

Once upon a time, there were three brothers named Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx. When their father Xehanort died a mysterious and very grisly death, each of them was left to make his own way in the world.

Xemnas, as the eldest brother, got first dibs on the inheritance. "Kingdom Hearts is mine," he said immediately. "Her sublime beams of hate/grief/desperation-drenched effulgence shall bathe my mortal flesh with the revolution of an ecstasy in the twilit shadow between Light and Darkness, until the Void shall open and consume all my being in a burst of glorious encompassing oblivion-"

"Yeah, whatever; I get the weapons," Xigbar interrupted. He grinned at his younger brother. "Guess that leaves you with just the cat, Moonwolf." They all looked down for a moment at the ginger-furred creature who went by the name Ultimate Void. Ultimate Void was sitting near Saïx's feet, watching them with an unsettlingly keen emerald gaze.

"I don't want the cat, and stop calling me that."

"You're outta luck, bro. It's either the cat or nothing."

"Then I will take Nothing, thank you. Farewell."

"Farewell, young Luna Diviner," Xemnas intoned.

"Later, Moonwolf," Xigbar called more flippantly.

Thus Saïx began his journey, thinking to find some suitable occupation in the nearest village and set up a modest living for himself. Presently, however, he discovered that the cat he had tried to reject as his inheritance was following him. "Leave. I don't want you."

"And I suppose it never occurred to you to ask if _I_ wanted _you_," the cat pouted.

Saïx stopped walking and stared. "You talk."

"Congratulations, Sai, I've decided to let you in on my awesome secret."

"Don't call me that."

"And by the way, my name's not Ultimate Void, it's Axel. Your oldest brother is an idiot."

"I agree if the sentiment if not the technicality."

"So! Now that you have the _best cat ever_, wanna play a game?"

"No."

"It's called Make Saïx Rich and Happy So He'll Let Me Wallow In Luxury Forever."

"You're not even my cat. Go away."

"Aw, c'mon, Sai, don't you want to marry a princess?"

"No."

"What?! _Every_ guy wants to marry a princess! ...Unless you'd rather have a prince."

"Certainly not."

"A scullery maid, then? Goose girl? Nerdy librarian?"

"I'm going to kick you in a minute if you don't leave me alone."

"Thanks for the warning, I'll stay out of range. So who _do_ you want to marry, then?"

"I am under no obligation to marry at all, just as I am under no obligation to avoid snapping your neck and using your pelt to make a pair of mittens."

"Grouchyface. So, since you won't let me marry you off, you have to get me a pair of boots to make up for it."

"This logic of yours is significantly flawed. What do you need with boots, anyway?"

"What do _you_ need with pants, huh? Mind your own business."

"You would do well to take your own advice."

"My advice stinks, I'll give you a princess instead. If you're nice to me, I'll even make sure she's pretty and not an idiot."

And so, Saïx was forced to put up with his odd companion until the following morning, when he awakened to discover that his room at the inn was devoid of felines. He cheerfully gathered his things and went on his way, assuming himself to be rid of his inheritance at last.

Axel, however, had not abandoned him. In the palace of that country's ruler, a servant came in to announce in a tone of amazement, "Your Majesty, the next one is...umm..."

"Well, show him in," the king said impatiently. His beautiful daughter shifted in mild curiosity. Then both sat up in astonishment when a ginger cat strolled into the throne room, walking upright on his hind legs like a human and clad in a pair of sturdy leather boots.

"Your Majesty," the cat announced, "I am Axel, servant of Saïx the Luna Diviner. I have come to pay my respects to Your Majesty on his behalf." He held up the result of his pre-dawn hunting trip.

"It's so _cute_!" the princess squealed in delight.

_"Put me _down_,"_ the honey-brown kitten yowled in cat-language.

"This creature," Axel declared grandly, "is the offspring of an unblemished lineage of top-notch hunting cats, and will prove to be a fine addition to your menagerie. He is a gift, as a sign of the Diviner's friendship and goodwill."

_"You _kidnapped_ me, and as soon as I get loose, I'm gonna scratch out your eye,"_ the kitten snarled, though his threat sounded like nothing more than high-pitched squeaks to the humans in the room. Axel simply smiled and patted his fluffy honey-brown head, dodging a swipe from the outraged kitten's paw immediately afterwards.

"He's _adorable_!" the princess gushed.

"Well!" the king exclaimed in lingering astonishment and growing pleasure, "I must say, this is quite unexpected, but- Well! Run along with this Luna Diviner's gift, Jasmine. I'd like to have a talk with our fascinating guest!"

The princess went away, cooing so sweetly to the kitten that he started purring and forgot to try to draw blood, while her father had his unusual guest seated and eagerly began plying him with questions.

Later that afternoon, as Saïx was submitting job applications, he was dismayed to walk out of a shop and find Axel lounging by the entrance. "Took ya long enough," the cat drawled.

Saïx turned his back and walked away.

"Hey! Is that any way to treat your best friend?" Axel yelped indignantly, leaping to his booted feet and hurrying after him.

"I don't have friends, and why are you back to pester me? I thought you were gone."

"Of course I wasn't gone for good, I'd never abandon you!"

"Abandon? Interesting, I would have used a term with much more positive connotations."

"Hey, I've been working hard for you all morning, the least you owe me is lunch."

"I owe you nothing."

"Yeah, well, lemme rephrase that: Buy me lunch, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what, exactly?" Saïx scoffed.

The cat smirked at him. "I'll sing 'Friday.'" Ten minutes later, he was feasting on a fish that had cost the last of Saïx's money.

"You'd better hope I find employment by tomorrow, or I'll be eating _you_ for dinner," Saïx sulked.

"Gotcha covered, Sai," Axel assured him through a mouthful of fresh trout.

Since Axel caught some plump rabbits along with the 'Luna Diviner's' next gift, Saïx had no reason to complain about lost meals, though, of course, he did anyway. "What's that, dessert?" he scoffed once the rabbits had been consumed.

"No way!" Axel yowled, crouching protectively over the frightened black kitten. "She's for the king tomorrow."

"Right," Saïx said dubiously. "I'm going to bed now. Do me a favor and disappear for good by the time I wake up."

"That wouldn't be doing you a favor, you _need_ me."

"About as much as I need mosquito bites," Saïx grumbled.

"You're just jealous because my boots are better than yours."

_"Can I go home now?"_ the kitten asked miserably as Saïx went to lie down.

_"Back to your broken jar in that garbage-strewn, rat-infested alley to get eaten by the first mangy stray mutt that passes by?"_ Axel snorted in cat-language._ "I don't think so."_

_"Not all the rats were mean...and me and Roxas got good at hiding from the dogs..."_

_"Wouldn't you like to live someplace where you'll _never_ have to scrounge for food or hide from dogs?"_

_"...I miss Roxas,"_ the kitten sniffled before giving way to cat-tears. _"He said he would be back soon, but he never came back."_

Axel licked her head soothingly. _"Maybe you'll see him again."_

_"Mama never came back, either. I want my mama."_ She curled up against Axel's stomach and went to sleep.

_"...You _do_ know I'm male, right?"_

The next morning, both Axel and the kitten were indeed gone, but Saïx was warier as he set out for more job hunting, expecting his unwanted inheritance to show up again at some inopportune moment.

Meanwhile, the king was squeeing over the return of his most fascinating guest ever, while his daughter was squeeing over what said guest had brought with him.

"Once again," Axel said grandly, brandishing the black kitten, "I have brought a gift from his Lunaness, Saïx the Diviner."

_"Xion!"_ The first gift leaped out of Jasmine's lap and galloped over to the second gift, who met him with a series of excited mews once Axel put her down.

_"Roxas! Axel was right, I _did_ see you again!"_

_"Get behind me, Xion, I promised I'd claw this guy's eye out."_

"I hope you are pleased with my master's token of respect, Princess," Axel said as he deftly shoved the angry ball of honey-brown fluff away from his face.

"They're _adorable_," Jasmine gushed. She came over to scoop up her new pets and cuddle them. "Give the Diviner my thanks."

"Oh, I will."

"Stay and have tea," the king said enthusiastically, patting the chair beside him. Which happened to be his daughter's, but Jasmine no longer needed it at the moment, since she was carrying the kittens away to play with.

_"Roxas, is this our new mama?"_

_"I dunno. Doesn't matter, the food here's better than back home."_

_"Yay!"_

Throughout the rest of the week, Saïx went on searching for a way to sustain himself, Axel continued to catch their suppers along with tiny adorable fluffy things, and Roxas and Xion got so fat that Princess Jasmine couldn't count their ribs anymore.

"That's right, sweet things, go on, it's all for you," she crooned at the kittens as she set down a platter for them filled with meat and little bowls of milk. "Eat up, we have a busy day today! Father's actually going to let us _outside the palace walls_." She smiled a little sardonically. "Won't that be fun, shut up in a dark, stuffy carriage all afternoon. We'll get to play at not being prisoners in our own home, it will be lovely."

Although Alice was still wandering around exploring her new home, Roxas immediately trotted over to the platter and set to work in a businesslike way. Ven sniffed at the various foods with interest, Xion mewed appreciatively and licked Jasmine's fingers, Kairi head-butted her knee affectionately, and Naminé crept shyly toward the food as if afraid she would be pounced on and cuddled at any given moment, which was exactly what happened.

Across town, Saïx was being stubborn. "There is nothing wrong with how I smell," he pouted, crossing his arms.

"Aw, c'mon," Axel said persuasively, "why do you think no one's hired you yet?"

"Because a certain cat is sabotaging my efforts at gaining employment."

"How did you-?! Wait, no! Of course not." Axel coughed. "What I was _gonna_ say is, if you take a nice long bath in the river and spruce yourself up, they won't get scared off by your ogreness and'll wanna hire you for sure!"

"Oh, _splendid_ idea, bathing in the river where anyone could come along and steal the only clothing I have left, leaving me in even more abject poverty than I already am."

"What are you, paranoid? Don't worry, no one's gonna want to steal your smelly old clothes," Axel scoffed as derisively as he could.

Saïx looked down at his outfit, which was significantly shabbier than it had been when he'd left his brothers. "I suppose that is a reasonable prediction..." Which meant there was really only one explanation for why he later came out of the river to find his clothing vanished. "AXEL."

The cat, however, was too far away to hear this wrathful cry, since he was down the road lying in wait. As soon as the royal carriage rolled past, he leaped up and shamelessly flagged it down. "Your Majesty! Oh, Your Majesty!"

Hearing the familiar voice, the king looked out the window and exclaimed in pleased surprise. "Why, it's Axel! Stop the carriage, driver."

"So _terribly_ sorry to bother you on your countryside drive," the cat apologized, "but, oh, please, my master is in dire need of help."

"Oh, dear! What seems to be the trouble?" the king said in concern, pushing open the door.

"Well, unfortunately, some thugs robbed him of his clothes and threw him in the river, and now he's drowning. _Do_ be a dear and send someone to go fish him out, will you?"

"Oh, certainly! At once!"

As the guards hurried off to assist the Luna Diviner, and the king followed after to anxiously oversee the rescue and meet his favored guest's mysterious master for the first time, Princess Jasmine gave the cat a dubious look. "They robbed him of his clothes, huh."

"Every stitch of it. He's buck naked," Axel added helpfully.

"You don't look very worried."

"Ah, your dad'll take care of it."

Xion poked her head up over the side of the basket to see who her new mama was talking to. _"Hi, Axel!"_

_"Hi, sweetie,"_ Axel purred, flicking his tail in response.

_"What? Axel?"_ Roxas clawed halfway over the basket's edge and glared. _"I like it here. If you make me go home, I'll bite your nose off."_

_"The palace _is_ your home now, tiger,"_ Axel chuckled.

_"Good. And stop sending us new sisters and brothers, they eat too much."_

_"Do not so,"_ Kairi objected.

_"You don't like us, Roxas?"_ Naminé mewed sadly, hunching down behind the snoring Ven.

Roxas went over to lick her cheek. _"You're okay. I just can't catch enough mice for all of you sometimes."_

_"I caught a mouse yesterday,"_ Xion offered, and Kairi licked her lips in appreciative remembrance.

_"I don't think you have to worry about feeding us all, Roxas,"_ Alice mused, licking one of her paws fastidiously. _"Mama always takes care of that."_

_"Maybe she won't always,"_ he said stubbornly.

Axel frowned. _"Hey. The whole point of collecting you fluffballs is so you'll never have to worry about being hungry ever again. And even if something does happen to your new mama, I'll be the one catching food to make up for it, so you _still_ won't have to worry about being hungry. Got it memorized?"_

Roxas flicked one ear, then the other. _"Okay."_

"What are you sillies doing?" Jasmine laughed, scooping up Roxas and Xion to cuddle.

"Mew," they told her.

By that time, her father was heading back to the carriage with his guards and a rather disgruntled Saïx, who looked uncomfortable in the long black coat that one of the king's men had lent him. His hair was still dripping wet.

"Oh, Master, I'm so glad you're safe!" Axel cried, trying not to laugh.

"Mittens," Saïx snarled. "The instant I get you within arm's reach."

"You know what, I think I'll scout on ahead," Axel said cheerfully, turning to head down the road.

"Mittens?" the king said in puzzlement.

"Never mind. Thank you for the coat, I will return it as soon as I can."

"Oh, nonsense, no need for that! Come, you _must_ meet my daughter, she'll be thrilled!"

Saïx looked at the princess and noted that she seemed to be less than thrilled. He bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Hello," she said coolly. "I suppose you think that pretty face of yours and the fact that you're less than ten years older than me is going to give you an edge over all your rival suitors. Don't you think the bribery might have been overkill?"

"Jasmine," her father hissed.

Saïx blinked, not used to being addressed as 'pretty.' Also, her joke about including him among her suitors was not all amusing. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Why don't we continue on," the king said hurriedly. Then, in a heated whisper, "Jasmine, be_have_."

She turned her face to glare sulkily out the window.

For a while, the two younger passengers sat in silence while the king nervously tried to make small talk. The kittens, venturing out of their basket, crawled around to explore. Xion rested in the crook of the princess's arm, purring in contentment as Jasmine petted her absently, but Roxas wriggled free and went to sniff suspiciously at Saïx.

_"You better not steal Mama or I'll bite you."_

Not being fluent in cat-language and, in fact, unaware that the kitten had even addressed him, Saïx finally sighed and spoke to the king. "Your Majesty, I am very grateful for your assistance at the river, and I assure you that your daughter is, indeed, quite beautiful and...charming."

Jasmine, still staring out the window, straightened her shoulders defiantly.

"But I'm beginning to think there has been some sort of misunderstanding," Saïx went on, "involving my- I mean, involving that insufferable talking stray that calls itself Axel. He seems to be under the erroneous impression that he's entitled to control my life."

The king gave him a somewhat blank smile. "He's a very nice cat, isn't he."

_"You smell like vanilla,"_ Roxas finally decided. _"I won't pee on you."_ He plopped down next to Saïx and started grooming himself. Saïx sighed and gave up.

Jasmine, on the other hand, glanced at him, and noted that he was not even looking at her. She suddenly shifted, drawing her legs up on the seat so that they leaned against Saïx. He stared at them in a decidedly displeased way. She smiled with narrowed eyes. "All this sitting is making my legs fall asleep. It's so uncomfortable and you're taking up quite a lot of room... You don't mind me resting on you a bit, do you?"

"Not at all," he said through gritted teeth.

"Jasmine," the king sighed. The kittens were all now watching with interest.

"Are you sure?" she went on testingly. "Because you look disgusted enough to toss me out of the carriage right now."

"Jasmine!" her father exclaimed in a shocked voice. "The Luna Diviner would never do something like that!"

"The king is correct," Saïx muttered.

"Because you're a gentleman, or because you'd be arrested if you tried?" she inquired, stretching out one leg across him. He was now visibly leaning away, not that that helped him a bit.

"Jasmine, stop that," the king admonished. "You're not being ladylike."

"And our dear Luna Diviner here," she said, anger giving more and more way to curiosity, "is not working very hard to make sure he comes out on top of the suitor dog pack. Maybe he's so convinced he'll win my hand that he's not even bothering to try."

"I have no aspirations to marry you, if that's what you're talking about," he said bluntly.

"Then why in the world did you send me all these gifts?" she demanded.

"I sent you nothing. I have a very strong suspicion that you can blame my cat for any misunderstanding. Your Majesty, thank you very much for the opportunity to accompany you and your daughter, but I'm afraid I must be going now."

"No." Eyes starting to light up with interest, Jasmine sat up and experimentally put a kitten on Saïx's shoulder. She was amused when he flinched. "I'd like to get to know you better, Luna. What's it like where you live?"

"My place of residence cannot possibly be of any interest whatsoever to anyone, and don't call me that." He remembered that he was speaking to royalty. "Please."

_"Do you think he would be fun to climb?"_ Alice wondered.

Her fellow kittens pounced on this idea at once. _"Oooh, let's try it!"_

Meanwhile, Axel had made his way far ahead on the road, and presently came across a teenage boy with wild black hair and golden eyes fighting shadow monsters in a field by the road. "Yo, kid!"

"Shut up and die," the boy yelled back, hurling his weapon.

Axel dodged it. "Pest control can be a pain," he said amiably. "You're good at it, though."

"I'm good at _everything_," the boy boasted, catching his weapon as it circled back around to him.

"Uh huh. Bet your boss thinks so, too, right?"

"Next time he shows his stupid face, I'm gonna slice it half," the boy snarled gleefully.

"Wow, that bad, huh. So you interested in working for someone else?"

Once that matter was settled, Axel continued on until he came to a second field, where a one-eyed man was casually gunning down more shadow monsters. The man looked awfully familiar. "Yo, Xigbar."

"Yo, talking cat," the man called back easily. "Name's Braig, actually."

Who? "Oh...great. So, you bored?"

"Understatement of the month."

"You up for a prank?"

"Heh, you have to ask?"

Axel grinned. "So, the king's gonna be coming by in a minute, it'll be hilarious if you tell him..."

Afterwards, the cat practically skipped onwards - everything was going perfectly. He reached a third field, where a man with long silver hair was eliminating monsters with laser bolts. He definitely looked familiar as well...this was a little creepy. "Yo, Xem."

"Why do you despise the Void?" Not-Xemnas turned around. He looked younger, and his hair was tied back in a more professional style.

"Uh...did I say anything about a void?"

"All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The rage of the Keyblade-"

"Hey, that's great. So, Xemnas."

"My name is Terranort."

"Whatever. I have a message from, uh, the Void."

Terranort stared at him, then strode closer. "I'm listening."

Axel finally came to a great castle, second only to the king's palace in magnificence. "Perfect," he said in satisfaction. "Almost there, Sai."

He gained admittance, where none other than the great and terrible (and rather effeminate) Trollanort was waiting to meet him.

Axel frowned. "You look familiar. Saïx didn't have a long-lost twin, did he?"

"Hello, Ultimate Void," Trollanort said in his customary dead voice.

"That is _not_ my name, Xem is an idiot," Axel said hotly. "My name's Axel."

"Your journey has been long," Trollanort intoned. "You scramble madly to win the security you have so deeply sought, yet in your foolishness, you do not realize that you had lost from the start."

"Can we skip the nonsensical villainous monologue? I've already had my fill of it from Xem."

Trollanort rose to his feet. "The time has come for your destruction, creature."

"It's _Axel_. And we'll see about that."

o.o.o.o.o

By the time the carriage reached the castle, a thoroughly exasperated Saïx was all too ready to burst out and march all the way home, despite the fact that he still wore nothing but a coat. By the time the princess called him back and had extricated the kitten which had somehow gotten into his pocket, Axel was strolling out of the castle to greet them.

"Welcome! Welcome, Your Majesty and Your Highness, to the Luna Diviner's humble abode!"

"Don't _you_ start," Saïx snapped.

"Mr. Diviner, are you sure there hasn't been a mistake?" the king wondered. "Those golden-eyed men we passed all said the same thing..."

"I should think I know where I do or do not live!"

"Such a big place," Jasmine observed critically, "but kind of gloomy. We're going to have to brighten it up a bit once I move in."

"That is no concern of mine. Now, if you will excu-"

"Won't you all please come in?" Axel interrupted. "We would be delighted to offer you refreshment, for as long as you like."

"That does sound nice," the king said. "Come, Jasmine." They both paused and looked back. "Aren't you coming, Luna Diviner?"

"No."

"We have shoes," Axel said persuasively.

Saïx looked down at his bare feet and finally stalked back to them with a haughty look.

"Excellent! Right this way, then."

"You seem quite comfortable here," Saïx said dryly as he and his cat fell behind the royalty. "If I find out you've stolen this place, I'll..."

"Um, you'll what?" Axel prompted after a moment, a little apprehensively.

Saïx stopped dead, his eyes widening. "That was supposed to be _rhetorical_!"

"Oh, was it? Ha ha!"

Saïx made an attempt to seize the cat, who eluded him deftly and took refuge on top of a shelf in the entrance hall. "You _did_ steal this castle, didn't you!"

"You can't steal stuff from a dead guy!"

Saïx's eyes went wide again, then narrowed in a murderous expression. "You _killed_ the owner?"

"Technically, he ended his own existence, and it was actually Al's idea, not mine, so-"

Before Saïx could catch hold of him to throttle him, there was a scream from up ahead. They both ran to the princess's aid, only to find her and a handsome young man wrapped in each other's arms.

"Jasmine, what is the meaning of this?!" the king was exclaiming.

Axel pointed. "That's the guy! I freed him from Trollanort's evil spell. He came in handy, but-"

"Aladdin," Jasmine murmured in perfect contentment, "I thought you were dead."

_"You're squashing me,"_ Roxas grumbled from between them.

"Sorry, I got kinda held up...everything's okay now, though."

"No, it's not!" Axel yelled. "You're marrying _Saïx_, not some random kid with buffer arms than me!"

"Uh..._are_ there people with skinnier arms than yours?" Aladdin asked doubtfully.

"Jasmine-" the king said, but she turned to interrupt him.

"Father, I love Aladdin - he's the one I'm going to marry."

"But I promised the Luna Diviner-"

"Sorry," Jasmine told Saïx sheepishly.

"All I want are some shoes, as was promised," Saïx said, glaring at Axel, "so that I can walk back home and get on with my life."

"Why are you thinking about shoes at a time like this?" Axel cried. "You're about to lose the girl!"

"And _you're_ about to lose something vital as soon as I get hold of you."

_"Are you mad, Axel?"_ Xion asked.

_"I _knew_ it wasn't gonna last!"_ Roxas yowled, fighting unsuccessfully to get free.

"Hmm." The king was eyeing Aladdin, who was dressed in rags. "I don't suppose you're royalty or at least nobility, are you?"

"N-"

Jasmine elbowed him.

"Yes?"

"No, he's not," Axel growled. "Al, you were just telling me that you lived on the streets before you came here!"

"Oh, dear," the king said in distress. "Jasmine, you know the law. Before your next birthday, you must be married to-"

"I would rather live on the streets with Aladdin than in a palace with anyone who's _not_ him!" She glanced at Saïx. "No offense, Luna Diviner."

"Why does everyone keep assuming that I care about any of this?" he wondered.

"Jasmine," her father said heavily, "don't be foolish. You-"

"-_are_ going to marry Saïx," Axel cut in, "so that you can both be rich and live in a big castle with lots and lots of great food so these kids'll never go hungry again."

"Kids?" Aladdin wondered.

"My courtship gifts," Jasmine explained, dropping Alice and Kairi into his arms and cuddling Xion and Roxas herself, as Ven and Naminé tried to crawl out of the basket to see what was going on. "Luna, since you apparently don't care about anything, you won't mind if I keep your failed attempts to win my hand, do you?"

"These floors are cold," Saïx grumbled, shifting his bare feet restlessly.

"Jasmine," her father said in distress, "I can't just throw you out into the streets! For once in your life, would you please stop being so stubborn and just let me take _care_ of you?"

"She actually won't be in the streets," Aladdin said thoughtfully. "This castle doesn't have an owner anymore, so we can live here, you know?"

"It doesn't have an owner?" Jasmine said in confusion.

"This castle belongs to Saïx," Axel asserted.

"Don't listen to a word he says," Saïx warned.

Jasmine had been thinking. "Boys, who owns this castle? Tell me the truth."

"The truth?"

"Because here's what I'm seeing - I marry Aladdin, Father disowns me, we bring the cats with us to live here with Luna Diviner who doesn't care, Father's heir can be my firstborn son, and we all live happily ever after."

There was a long pause.

"Brilliant," Axel said.

"Works for me," Aladdin said.

"Do what you like; I'm going to go raid the first bedroom closet I find," Saïx said.

"I suppose I have no complaints with that arrangement," the king said.

_"Oh,"_ Roxas noticed. _"There's a mouse."_

_"Catch it, Roxas!"_ Xion cheered.

Princess Jasmine did indeed wed her true love and was dutifully disowned, Saïx had no objection to the happy couple moving into the dead troll's castle which now seemed to belong to him, they discovered that the troll's treasure hoard was more than enough for them to maintain comfortable lives until the end of their days, Axel was able to retire with his six new adopted children, and they all indeed lived happily ever after.

_The end!_

Author's Notes: I pretty much tried to give up on Pairing Days, but...it's _AkuSai_! My OTP! I can't fail them! (So I told myself.) But my original AkuSai Day plunny was just...really narmy, I couldn't bring myself to write it. So I was casting about for last-minute alternatives instead, and finally, which I've done a lot for RuroKen but haven't really had to do for KH yet, I turned to fairy tales for inspiration. "Puss in Boots" came to mind immediately, so here we are. :)

Heh heh, it's been a while since I've written this kind of fic... I love stupid humor. ^^ Can't write it properly anymore, and my (de?)evolved attempts at it can be seen as decidedly lower quality than my usual writing, but I don't care, this sort of style and the kind I used to write still crack me up. ^^ When I first drafted this, I thought it was really stupid, and I still kind of think it is, but the kittens saved this story for me. They're just too adorable. X3

Unfortunately, it was really late on August 7th and I was sleep-deprived while working on the second half of the fic, and the Axel vs. Trollanort scene was so bad that I gave up on finishing in time. Coming back to it later, I just cut the scene out altogether. *sweatdrop* It was rather late when I did so and I was sleep-deprived again, but at least I was able to finish the story, yay! Two and a half months too late for AkuSai Day, unfortunately. ;; Oh well. Next year.

Complete: 51/101


	54. The Storm (theme 53)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**53. The Storm (rough draft)**

Summary: Saïx isn't the only one with a phobia.

A/N: _Stepsiblings_ universe, multiple perspectives. And I'm sorry for the overload of AkuSaiRokuShi and stuff (especially in this series that allegedly focuses on AkuSai), I can imagine it's getting repetitive... :/

o.o.o

**Xion**

Monster chasing me but I can't run, trying and trying he's catching up

CRASH

HE BIT ME

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh it's my room, dark, I woke up in bed in my room raining, rain hitting the window NO

CRASH

SAÏX SAÏX SAÏX I NEED YOU I NEED YOU I NEED YOU _ow_ that hurt, ow ow ow knee hurts have to get to Saïx SAÏX WAKE UP, WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UPPPPPPPP

**Saïx**

I awakened to find myself being violently shaken by my sister, as the sound of heavy rain struck the window. A flash of lightning made the situation clear to me, and she screamed in the next second, though it was nearly drowned in the crash of thunder that had incited it.

"Xion..."

I have learned, however, that nothing I say has an effect in these situations, and did not resist as she practically shoved me out of bed. I had just enough presence of mind to seize a pillow and blanket as she, in an impressive display of strength for such a small girl, hauled me across the room and into my closet before slamming the door. The storm was muted now, though we could both still hear it.

"Ugh..." I was too tired to deal with this. I lay down and allowed her to clamber over me and wedge herself between me and the wall.

"Saïx," she whimpered, "please please please sing the kittens song."

"Xion," I groaned.

"Please," she sobbed. "Sing to me like we sing at Christmas, _please_."

... I suppose it...was only fair...

I sighed and rolled over, folding some of the blanket across her as she nestled close to me. _"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."_ I think I fell back asleep before finishing the song, but at least she wasn't shivering as much.

**Axel**

The storm wakes me up, though for a minute I just lie here stupidly until thunder crashes and I remember-

"Ah, dang it." Xion. Have to get to Xion, like, _now_.

I get up and hunt around for some pants, and I'm pulling them on when lightning blasts my room again.

I freeze. It was just for a _second_, but I thought I saw...

My back is already creeping. For a minute, I'm paralyzed, but then I force myself to dive for the light switch, telling myself, _'It's okay, Axel, it's okay, Axel, it's just your imagination, you're just jumpy because-'_

HOLY CRAP NOT MY IMAGINATION IT'S THERE IT'S THERE IT'S THERE NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO _SA__Ï__X_! Saïx Saïx Saïx HOLY CRAP it's moving _SA__Ï__X_!

The breath FREEZES IN MY FREAKING THROAT and I _swear_ I'm going to faint for a minute because HE'S NOT THERE. WHERE IS HE. HE'S NOT HERE. I NEED MY BROTHER AND HE'S NOT IN HIS FREAKING BED AND _WHERE IS HE_.

I hurl the closet door open so hard it actually bounces back off the wall and nearly hits me in the face. "SAÏX." Then I feel bad because Xion's screaming. Oops. "Xi, it's m-me..."

Her screams fade into sobs, and Saïx makes an annoyed grunt. I can hear them but I can't _see_ them, where's the dang light switch uuuuuggggghhhhhh, what if there's one on the wall crawling on the light switch, under my fingers, ugly gross hairy body filling my palm and eight legs rattling against my flesh and my back hits the wall and I can barely keep from screaming myself, it comes out as a strangled whimper. "_Saïx_!"

"Go _away_!" he wails.

"SAÏX TURN THE LIGHT ON."

"I'm trying to sleep."

"TURN THE LIGHT ON FOR ME I'M GONNA KICK YOU."

"Axel, I'm scared," Xion sobs. Crap, can't kick him, Xi's somewhere down there I might kick her too, but _finally_ Saïx you jerk he's getting up and shuffling over here and flipping the switch so that the closet floods with awesome, wonderful light, except it just thundered again so Xion's screaming. I hate this.

"Just leave me alone," he groans. "There's school tomorrow."

"Bring your bed in here," I order. I am _not_ sleeping on the floor, not where spiders can crawl up and crawl over you and uuuugggghhhh, can't stop swatting at the back of my neck because I can _feel_ them there even though it's just my imagination...

Saïx flops back down and pulls the pillow over his head. Jerk.

"It's loud," Xion sobs.

I have to shut the door. I shut it and look _everywhere_, all over, the floor and the walls and the ceiling but I can't see anything. There's nothing. It's okay, Axel, it's okay, no spiders in here, just your poor freaking out little sister and your jerk brother. "It's okay X-Xi," I say. She watches with huge teary eyes as I shove Saïx against the wall - if they come crawling down the wall, they'll get on him and not me - and gingerly lie down and use him as a pillow. I'm at an angle where I can see most of the closet. I'll see them coming, if they come crawling up. Hopefully. I can see them if they come. I'll grab Saïx's arm and squish them with it. He's a jerk and he's asleep so he can be my spider-guard.

"It's still raining," Xion sniffles. She crawls over to me and I put my arms around her and we're miserable together. At least it beats being miserable alone.

**Roxas**

CRASH.

Not falling, 'cause I'm in bed and it was a dream.

Oh look, it's raining. I can say I'm scared and get to sleep with Axel.

Cold cold floor is cold, why is the light on

WHERE'S AXEL.

...

Maybe aliens took him, but maybe he went potty. I'mma go check.

Axel is not going potty.

Axel is not eating ice cream in the kitchen.

"AXEL WHERE ARE YOU."

Crash. Thunder. Xion's scared of thunder, she cries.

Oh. Axel went to hold Xion and sing to her and tell her everything's gonna be okay.

XION'S GONE. XION GOT KIDNAPPED BY ALIENS TOO. I'M ALL ALONE. I'M ALL ALONE.

Except Saïx. And Mom and Xem. If Saïx got kidnapped too then I'm all alone. But I have to see if his bed's empty

HIS BED IS EMPTY I'M ALL ALONE. "Axel!" I yell. "Axel I'm alone come back!"

_Knock knock_.

There is a monster in the closet. The monster ate Saïx. Maybe it ate Axel and Xion too.

I go and get my lightsaber and my helmet and I'm gonna bash it in the stomach really hard so it'll throw up Saïx and Axel and Xion like the monster did in _Space Pizza Invasion_ and they'll be gross and covered with throw-up but I'll get them back. I hate bad monsters.

"Why is everyone in the closet?"

"We're scared," Axel says. He looks sad. "Come be scared with us."

"Okay." I come in.

"Close the door!" Axel and Xion yell.

Geez. I close the door. "I closed it." Saïx has a pillow on his head. It looks good to sleep on. I go and lie on the pillow and Saïx says Go away and Axel hugs me and Xion, and everything's okay now and I fall asleep.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: ... This did not turn out nearly as cute or amusing as I thought it would. -.- (Except for Roxas's part. XD Little-kid Roxas is my _favorite character to write ever_. X3)

Axel's arachnophobia is from _Christmas at the Castle_, and Xion's thunderphobia is from _Raindrops & Whiskers_.

I'm..._pretty_ sure by now that Axel & Roxas are supposed to share a room? I think? But the house is doing its magical author's needs rearranging again. orz I'll figure it out for the final draft...hopefully... (And why Xem & Lea are able to sleep through all that racket, idk yet. -.-)

And again, more AkuSaiRokuShi than AkuSai.

Fail drabble all around, whee!

Complete: 52/101


	55. Plague (theme 62)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**62. Plague (rough draft)**

Summary: Axel will never escape them.

A/N: Takes place in the same universe as one of my unpublished WIPs, and therefore makes no sense. -.- It's set in the Dive to the Heart.

o.o.o

"Arrgghhhh! It's like a _plague_, I'm telling you!"

"A plague of Puppy Eyes?" Saïx said dryly from where he was lounging in the middle of his pillar with a book.

Axel stomped over and threw himself down next to his old friend with a sigh. "Yes. And no, I'm not kidding; that little stinker Ven's been getting in on it, too! Roxas and Xion are being a bad influence on him."

"Judging from the way he's got Terra and Aqua wrapped around his little finger," Saïx said dryly, "Ventus has no need of being _taught_ how to utilize that particular trait of his."

Axel waved his hand impatiently. "Ven was born with Puppy Eyes just like the rest of those brats. I'm talking about the way _Roxas_ and _Xion_ are now doing it on _purpose_."

"It was nice when they were clueless, wasn't it," Saïx remarked absently, turning another page.

Axel frowned. "Where'd you get the book?"

"Zexion's pillar."

"Duh, of course you did, why did I ask that?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

Axel grinned. "Only if you want me to tease you some more about how I'm the _only other person_ in your stained glass."

Saïx glared and turned his back on him.

"Aw, don't pout, Sai. I think it's cute. Naminé does, too."

"I TOLD you to keep the children away from my pillar when I'm gone," Saïx growled.

"Kind of hard to do that when we have to pass through yours to get back to Roxas's from Zexion's! Naminé and Zex are pretty good friends, you know. I can't just tell her she can't visit him whenever you feel like being dumb."

Saïx propped himself back on his hands, glancing at Axel over his shoulder. "What you really mean is, you can't tell her No when she's shooting you with-"

"Don't say it!"

"-Puppy Eyes."

"Gah!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This fic is SO OLD. What's funny is that I wrote it long before finding out about ZekuNami. XD

Complete: 53/101


	56. Between (theme 68)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**68. Between (rough draft)**

Summary: Pick a number.

A/N: Possibly the same universe as "Puzzles." They're about 20 here. (or "Trust Me," 21?)

o.o.o

"Heeeyyy, just the man I was lookin' for! So, Sai, I have a favor to ask for my next mission..."

o.o.o

"Only an amateur would waste my talents on a target of that low caliber."

o.o.o

"Are you insane?! I'll be lucky to RTC by 6:00! I gave up this job so I'd have _more_ time to devote to my real work, not less!"

o.o.o

"I would like to lodge a formal complaint."

o.o.o

"Of course I don't have a problem with the assignment. What could I _possibly_ complain about when you send an operative with low HP and high magic stats after a target with magic-resistant armor and no elemental weaknesses?"

o.o.o

"Aw, Sai, Atlantica? Really? Ugh!"

o.o.o

"I didn't want to fight a big scary giant Heartless, I wanted to do recon! It's not against the rules to trade missions, right?"

o.o.o

"I say, I know I'm new to all this, but there are a few things I feel necessary to discuss with you..."

o.o.o

Axel walked into the Grey Area on Monday morning to find the entire Organization gathered together, either looking bored or impatient or talking to each other in gossipy tones. (Except Xemnas, who had never been seen in the Grey Area in all the years of the Castle's existence. Non-existence, whatever.)

"What's this all about?" Axel wondered.

Saïx, leaning against the window with crossed arms and a sulky look on his face, straightened up and called out coolly, "Congratulations, slacker, even _Demyx_ showed up before you did."

"What, did I miss a memo or something? It's not even 8:00 yet!"

"I think we all missed a memo," Demyx offered. "Lulu's being uber-mysterious."

"Call me that again and I'll smash a claymore into your face. Axel, pick a number between one and ten. Actually, all the numbers have already been claimed except 1, 7, and 8, so your choice is limited to one of those."

"If I pick 7, will you stop acting like someone stole your kibbles?"

"Now choose a number between 50 and 100. I'll let you know if it's still available."

"...Kibbles are obviously still stolen, so I'm going with 88 on this one."

Briskly, Saïx scribbled a note on his clipboard and then started hurling cards at his fellow Nobodies. "You all are witness to the fact that these assignments were completely random."

Axel looked at his card: _Numbers VII and VIII to Twilight Town for recon._

"Anyone who complains about future missions," Saïx continued, "must pay a fee of 5 Elixirs, 3 Lightning Crystals, and 7,000 munny, and will be required to take on a double assignment the next day. There is _far_ too much work to be done for me to tolerate having to listen to constant griping. Anyone who has problems with the new policy can take it up with Lord Xemnas. I hope you find today's missions satisfactory in comparison with previous arrangements." With no further ado, Saïx opened a dark corridor and stepped into it.

Realizing that he was supposed to follow, Axel hurried to get to the portal before it closed, as a chorus of whining rose up behind him. "Completely random?" he said skeptically. "You taking an easy mission with your best friend to our favorite world?"

Saïx did not answer until they had reached their destination. Then he marched straight into Tram Common and growled, "Look, Axel. I've spotted a highly suspicious ice cream shop."

"Oh, man, you're right! We totally have to investigate that place for intel!"

"I'm glad to see we are in agreement." Saïx purchased several ice cream bars.

"Hey, Saïx," Axel said testingly, "don't you think there's something funny about the clock tower? We probably oughta check it out."

"Of course."

They went up to the top of the tower, sat down with their legs dangling over the ledge, and unwrapped their ice creams. "What are we doing now?" Axel asked cautiously.

"Gathering information, obviously," Saïx said shortly, biting into his ice cream.

"I see. I guess that sunset out there warrants some close inspection."

"Yes." Saïx was already three-quarters through his first ice cream and reaching for a second.

"Sai, you haven't been this stressed since Vexen sent us on that string of Wonderland missions a year ago. I hate to say this, but it looks like the job's getting worse, not better."

"I can handle it," Saïx snarled, chomping so hard on the ice cream bar in his hand that the stick snapped.

"...I can see that."

Saïx sighed and finally went still, hands dangling against his knees. "...It's difficult. I'll admit that. Harder than I thought it would be." He slowly raised the ice cream to his lips again. "But I can do it. Everyone can be so irritating with the constant complaints, but...I don't hate it. Somehow, I - I don't think teaching would have been much different, if things had worked out like they were supposed to."

Axel snorted. "I dunno, organizing monster-slaying in multiple worlds for an organization of sinister black-coated men toting humongous magical weapons seems like a pretty far cry from teaching little kids how to read and write..."

"You'd be surprised," Saïx said dryly.

"So, how exactly is this Mental Health Day of yours gonna go down in the mission report?"

"Obviously we searched the entire town, recording clues and drawing conclusions and making important discovers that will benefit the Organization."

"None of which will have anything to do with ice cream."

"Definitely not," Saïx confirmed, reaching for his third bar.

Axel clapped him on the back. "Sometimes it really pays off to be friends with you..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Huh - _wow_ this story's old. I have a note here that says, "Thanks go to Infamousplot for suggesting that Isa might have wanted to become a teacher someday. ^^" I didn't realize this was (I assume) the first story I wrote after she suggested that. XD

Complete: 54/101


	57. Daughters (theme 71)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Daughters (Theme 71) [rough draft]**

Summary: Two sets of friends for life.

A/N: Modern AU.

o.o.o

"That is not the issue here, gentlemen! The problem is that your daughters have been terrorizing the school, and we're all here today to _do_ something about it."

Axel rolled his eyes and glanced over at the other dad, some blue-haired freak who looked like he'd gotten the worst in a knife fight once or twice.

"Did you hear that, Father?" Isa said in that annoying snooty voice of hers. "We've got the whole school under our thumb."

"I hope you don't expect me to praise you for it," her father said shortly.

"But _you_ will, right, Dad?" Lea said brightly. "You always say to 'Go get 'em' and 'Knock 'em dead' and stuff."

"It's a figure of speech, _obviously_!" Axel stormed at her. "And in case you couldn't tell, I'm pretty ticked about getting dragged out of work to come halfway across town and find out what-"

"Dad, you hate work."

"That's not the point!"

The meeting seemed to last forever. Afterwards, on top of having to process the fact that his daughter was suspended again, Axel found that he and Isa's father were apparently parked in the same direction. "So, Socks," he said, and was presented with an icy golden glare.

"It's Saïx."

"Yeah, whatever. Oi, think you could have the decency to warn people _before_ their kids decide to become besties with your delinquent daughter?"

"Dad!" Lea shrieked.

Saïx stopped walking. "I find the 'delinquent' comment rather amusing, coming from a man blatantly sporting tattoos," he growled.

"Father!"

"You're one to talk, Scarface!" Axel retorted. "You get those in a prison brawl or something?"

Lea practically threw herself in front of him, as if to shield the other two. "Dad, I am begging you, please please _please_ shut up."

"Don't think you can talk to me like that when you just got yourself suspended!"

"But-!"

"Come, Isa," Saïx said frostily. "This is where we part ways with you former friend."

"Father, you can't be serious! ...And come back, the car is this way. You parked right next to them, you know. They drive the red Firebird."

The two men stared at their cars and then at each other, vaguely horrified. "Why'd you park next to me?!"

"If I'd had any idea who you were beforehand, trust me, this would never have happened."

"I bet you parked there just so you could give Flurry a nice big dent when you pull out."

"That's something I'd expect _you_ to do." Saïx paused. "You named your car?"

Axel flushed red. "N-No, of course not. What are you, stupid?"

"Father calls his Luna," Isa offered.

Axel stared. "Dude, you named your car?"

"Don't try to drag me down to your level."

Lea giggled. "You know, Dad, you and Isa's dad are pretty similar."

"Don't be stupid!"

"No, she has a point. Who else would name their children with anagrams of their own names sans the X's?" Isa mused. "You're right, Lea. They'd get along splendidly if not for us."

"We ruined it!" Lea gasped. "Isa, we have to be super-good so that my dad and your dad can stop being mad and become BFFs!"

"Lea, you're delusional," Axel growled.

She wasn't, though. Seven months later, Lea and Isa hated each other's guts because they both liked the same boy, and were furious that their fathers refused to cut ties with each other as well. Eight years after that, Isa was Lea's Maid of Honor and made sure to get lots of pictures when their fathers got spectacularly drunk at the wedding reception. After that was when Isa made Axel her eldest child's godfather, and Saïx was best man when Axel married Lea's stepmother, and sometimes Axel and Saïx would wonder what life would have been like if their daughters hadn't been hellions back in high school.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Another story that's really old (long before "Psychotic," ftr). ^^; I think you can tell because the newer ones get invaded by Roxas & Xion. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 55/101


	58. Dearest (theme 64)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**64. Dearest (rough draft)**

_DeviantArt 3,000 pageviews kiriban for CaxceberXVI_

Summary: Isa, recovering after finally being freed from Xehanort, would be happier to see Lea if there weren't a certain couple of "distractions" getting in the way of their friendship.

o.o.o

The former Luna Diviner, recovering in a hospital bed after his long ordeal, looked perfectly composed in sleep: features relaxed, yet without a hint of a smile; the bandages on his recently-reopened scars discreet enough to spare his dignity; his breathing deep and even.

Lea sat by the bed for a while, watching. Then he smiled a little and smacked his no-longer-ex-friend in the face.

Isa jerked, hands flying up in self-defense, glaring hard enough to make a Dusk wet its (figurative) pants. Though, since his eyes were a mundane green now instead of that creepy gold, a braver Dusk probably would've been able to keep its figurative pants clean. Lea, the actual target this time, felt more like crowing in triumph. He would never take his friends' eye colors for granted again.

"I _knew_ you weren't really asleep."

"Don't expect a prize."

"Man, how long've you been faking? Xigbar-I-mean-Braig's been up and about for two days now, and Terra was out of bed for four whole hours yesterday. Aqua and Ven threw a party."

"It never occurred to you that I might be feigning sleep because I don't want to talk to you?"

Now Lea was the one glaring. "Well, you know who _does_ want to talk to me? These kids named Roxas and Xion, maybe you've heard of them. They're eating ice cream right now, actually. With these other kids named Naminé and Sora, who _also_ like talking to me. Maybe I should go hang out with them instead."

"No one is stopping you." Isa rolled to his side, turning his back to him.

Lea stared. Then he stood up, took the vase of flowers off the bedside table, and upturned its contents over the ex-berserker.

In a flash, Isa was sitting up, eyes blazing, hand outstretched-

There was a pause.

"The old weapons don't come when you call them anymore," Lea said in an explaining-something-to-a-cute-but-stupid-little-kid voice. "But I think I know which closet they dumped your claymore in, I can go fetch it for you if you want a boss battle. I wouldn't, if I were you. Unless you _want_ your butt kicked. You're bedridden, in case you forgot."

Isa flopped back down to resume sulking, regardless of the now-wet bedding and all the flowers scattered around him.

Lea sighed and went around to where his face was, sitting down in the chair there. Isa, fortunately, was dignified enough to not turn away again.

"Hey. If this is about your pillar, I'm sorry."

"It's not about the pillar."

"I'm sorry for flinging myself into the deepest abyss of your heart and nearly drowning in darkness as I battled the second-strongest Keyblade-wielder in existence and dragged your half-conscious half-heart back to the Light so you wouldn't be lost forever."

"I _told_ you, I'm grateful."

"Hey. Saying 'Thank you' while doomgazing me, and then ignoring me for five days, doesn't count."

"...Thank you for saving me," Isa muttered, eyes averted.

"You're welcome."

"..."

"...Man, it's not like I'm _surprised_ you only had two people on your pillar."

"This, for the record," Isa said pointedly, "is why I don't want to talk to you," but Lea ignored him.

"I mean, you're not exactly cuddly, you don't trust _anyone_, I've never seen you smile at a single person other than me and your mom- What?"

"You heard me," Isa said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I thought I heard a little fairy somewhere giggle 'I trust you,' but it can't have been _you_, because you won't even _look me in the face_. You wouldn't trust me to walk you to the bathroom, much less-!" Lea studied the alteration in his friend's (still averted) glare. "You have to pee, don't you."

"Just get out."

"Can you _make_ it to the bathroom on your own?"

"It's ten steps away."

"Yeah, and you've been possessed for a decade, unconscious for three days, and fake-unconscious for two. _I'd_ need help, if I were you."

"Well, you're _not_ me, and even if you were, you have plenty of other help now, anyway, so my services would be superfluous."

Lea sat for a moment, translating this. Then, "Flaming pants, Sai, I mean Isa, are you _ever_ gonna run out of ways to say 'I'm so jealous of the kids I could spit'?"

"One cannot be jealous of individuals so inferior that they almost escape notice," Isa said sourly.

"Riiiiight. Roxas and Xion are just sooooo unnoticeable, it was a _total coincidence_ that you made his life ten times more miserable than it had to be, and hated _her_ so much she gave you FEELINGS you weren't supposed to have."

"That thing-"

"That _thing_," Lea stormed, slapping a photograph so hard on Isa's chest that it prompted an actual 'Ow,' "_has a heart_, which makes her human and gives her the right to be called her and she and whatever, so STOP with the whole puppet thing, or I will find a different place to shove that IV line in."

"Xion isn't even in this picture," Isa said in annoyance.

"What are you, blind?! She's the one with the flower face paint!"

"Dressing Kairi in black and giving her a different name is no proof that your delusions are real, as I thought would be obvi-"

"_That's not Kairi_! Flaming- _Look_!"

Isa frowned at the second photograph that had been shoved at him, of two nearly identical-looking girls grinning at the camera like sisters. "Photoshopped."

Lea stood up again and grasped the IV line.

"But feel free to believe whatever you like," Isa said very quickly, trying to hold him back. "X-Xion is a loveable girl, and you may enjoy your new playthings to your heart's content. I never said I was stopping you."

Lea's eyes narrowed. "The way you talk about them..."

"I'm not going to involve myself in your personal affairs, since I seem to have lost that right."

Lea sat down, this time on the edge of the bed. "Isa. I know I joke around sometimes, but they're not just toys, or pets. You know? They're my _friends_. I know they're a lot younger than me, and freaking adorable, and half of them are kind of clueless, but...we're friends. We can talk about anything. We've risked our lives for each other. They're not just..._distractions_. You know?"

"I know," Isa grumbled.

"Gah, what is your problem?! People can be friends with more than one person at a time, Isa!"

"I _know_."

"Even you."

Isa glared.

"So what if me and your mom are the only ones on your pillar? That just means you have room for lots more faces."

"I am not _interested_ in those children other than as allies in battle."

"Well, why not?" Lea demanded. "You'd actually get along really well with Riku, if you ever _talked_ to him. Sora'd annoy you, but I'd like to _see_ the person that kid can't cheer up when they're going through a rough time. Kairi's one of the seven Princesses - take Roxas and Xion's heart-rays, and multiply them by fifty; I _dare_ you to keep feeling like a heartless jerk if you hang out with her enough. Naminé has a whole folder stuffed with pictures of _you_, you and me, because she was helping from the outside and I never would have gotten you out alive if she hadn't been sending us all those memories to forge a path. Roxas...and Xion...sacred moon, Isa."

Isa eyed him warily.

"Just, I can't even- Just _be_ there. You don't even have to do anything. Just come up to the clock tower with us and eat some ice cream. You'll _see_."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Or you can keep hiding in here until you die of sulking. It's up to you." Lea finally got up and left. Headed down the hall, meaning to go join his friends. His _other_ friends.

He sighed and came to a halt. Stood there thinking for a while. Finally started walking again. Ended up turning right instead of toward the elevators. Made two circuits of the hallways. Then turned back into the same hospital room he had left.

Isa was on the floor.

"Isa!" He ran, but his hands were brushed off when he tried to reach out.

"Go away." Isa continued to kneel, one hand resting against the wall, face impassive. "...I thought you'd left."

"Well, I came back. Obviously. And it's a good thing I did, because you need help."

"I don't."

Lea frowned. "Fine." He stood up and crossed his arms. "Let's see you make it on your own, then."

Isa ignored him and just knelt quietly for a while. Then he drew in a breath and surged upright, managed one-and-a-half steps, and sank gracefully back to his knees again.

"..."

"..."

Isa glanced back at the bed, gauged the distance, then sighed, his head dropping in a defeated way.

Lea sighed, too, then went to put an arm around his shoulders and heave him to his feet.

Isa made no resistance this time. "Why do I still think I have any pride left?" he said very quietly as they made their way toward the bathroom.

Lea grinned a little. "Because you're you. Honestly, I'd be kind of creeped out if you ever actually made things easy for me..."

Once Isa was settled back in bed (now with fresh sheets and sans flowers), both of them looked at each other wearily. "Thank you," Isa said in a low voice. "You may go now."

"Ah - my master dismisses me," Lea said without moving.

Isa's mouth quirked in annoyance. "I only meant that you're now free to return to the children."

"Which I can't wait to do, since I came here solely to help you use the toilet and couldn't have any other motive."

"Apologies, I didn't realize you enjoyed watching me lie here in a bad mood. I thought you preferred your flock of upbeat Keyblade wielders."

Lea looked at him for a while instead of continuing the banter, making Isa uneasy. Then he finally said, "You're still there, you know. There are more faces now, but...you're still there. Roxas told me, after he and Sora dove to my heart...heh, he was kind of mad about it, actually. He and Xion and _you_ are on the stained glass closest to me."

Isa closed his eyes. A tear slipped down his cheek, and he shifted his head, but then went perfectly still without actually turning away like Lea expected. _'I trust you.'_

"..." _'Open your eyes, Isa. See? You're not crying alone.'_

The door creeeeaaaked open in a quietly obnoxious way. "Is Axel still in there?" Xion whispered loudly.

"Yeah," Roxas replied, in a tone that clung to the description 'whisper' only by the edges of its fingernails. "SIIIIIGGHH. I wonder when he'll finish and come hang out with us again, like he _promised_."

Lea laughed a little, wiping his eyes, then laughed again when Isa muttered incredulously, "She really does look like Kairi..."

"I'll...I'll be there later, all right?"

"Okay, Axel," Xion said heavily.

"You don't have to," Roxas said in a resentful tone. "If you wanna stay with Saïx, I don't care. Then I won't have to listen to you going 'Isa Isa Isa' all the time."

"I don't go 'Isa Isa Isa' all the time!"

"Yes, you do," Xion said. "You told us when you accidentally broke his arm and he had to teach you how to splint it, and you failed math because you were cheating off him all year, and your sister pierced his ears so you guys could make him wear the ice cream earrings-"

"Ha ha ha!" Lea interrupted, trying to avoid the strong glare being leveled at him, "Did I say all that? I bet Demyx told you that stuff..."

"No, it was you."

"Yeah, because you like Saïx more than us now."

"That's not true!" Then, quickly, "I hate _Saïx_-who's-really-Xehanort, but I love _all_ my friends. Got that memorized? You three are my most important people."

"But all you care about is him now. Is that how friendship works? You like your first friend, then when he's mean you make new friends, then when he likes you again you spend all your time with him because he was your friend first, and that's fair." Roxas was glaring with his arms crossed, looking like he was about to either break down or blow up.

"That is not how friendship works." They all looked at Isa in surprise, who was looking at the ceiling. "Your friends are the people you care about most. You stay loyal to them, even when doing so is difficult and unpleasant. And you don't let anything get in the way of your friendship." He finally brought his eyes down to Lea's and added, very quietly, "Not even new friends."

Lea smiled, unable to speak for a moment.

"Or old friends?" Roxas challenged.

Isa's eyes still held Lea's as he whispered, "You can let them stay."

"...I need a group hug," Lea said. "I need one _now_."

"Huh?"

"What's a-?"

"_No_."

Once they got their ice cream, the kids sat on the other side of Lea so that they wouldn't have to actually look at Isa, and Isa never addressed them at all. Lea, however, sitting between the three people dearest to him, with the taste of sea-salt on his lips and the sound of laughter in his ears, was happy, because he knew it was only a matter of time before his 1+2 would someday turn into 4.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Hee, so Caxceber claimed my DevArt kiriban, and was clever enough to request a fic about my OTP, which is why this got written and posted so quickly. :p She suggested a post-Xehanort hurt/comfort hospital scene, because I was too tired at the time to come up with a plunny. ^^

I'm not sure how much this qualifies as a "hurt/comfort" fic, and of course Rox & Xi shoved their way in because there's a reason why my OTP is half of an OT4, but...I hope you still like it, Caxceber dear. ^^;

Lol, I wrote this in two days. XD

Complete: 56/101


	59. Soul (theme 73)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**73. Soul**** (rough draft)**

_Bonus DevArt 3,000 kiriban for CaxceberXVI_

Summary: Isa may finally be free of Xehanort, but he still has a difficult time adjusting for a while.

**A/N: Takes place (or at least, it **_**can**_** take place) in that post-canon AkuSaiRokuShi thing. Also, warning for Narm, particularly if AkuSai does not make you squee. *sweatdrop***

o.o.o

_My eyes ache, like when the berserk fog starts to clear, but instead of gold, all I see is darkness. I can hardly breathe, and panic starts to rise when I realize I can't move, either. The darkness is alive, pinning me, it'll consume me..._

_My struggles suddenly cease when I hear a whisper in my ear, and realize that the one holding me captive is human. "This is for your own good."_

_Lea's voice. Lea's hands hurting me. "No-"_

_Sudden light, a beam of it stretching out as if to capture me, so harsh that I can't see who it is surrounding us. I know who they are, though. The heroes of Light, the Keywielders. My enemies for so long. Lea is one of them now._

_"Hold him, Axel."_

_I know his voice, too...Roxas-_

_"Don't worry, he's not going anywhere."_

_"Lea-"_

_"I can't say I won't enjoy this." Xion, no longer a mere puppet, ready to avenge herself on me now that I'm at their mercy..._

_"Please-"_

_A flash of light, then pain. Flaring first in my chest, then intensifying until I scream, starting to shoot through my entire body. This light...I know what it's looking for...it's finding and finding and finding, but there's nothing in my soul for it to pass over, nothing it won't burn._

_"Lea, _please_!" I can't bear it - if they don't stop soon, they'll kill me._

_"Ssshh. Almost over."_

_"No! No!" I have almost nothing left. I have...nothing..._

o.o.o

"ISA!"

"NO!" I can't get free. I can't get free. I thought I woke up, but I'm still in the nightmare, struggling in the dark as Lea pins my arms.

"Isa, wake _up_!"

"Get off me! Get OFF!"

"Not 'til you stop trying to kill me!"

"GAH!" We're in...Radiant Garden...?

Roxas and Xion are there, but in their sleepwear. Roxas's Keyblade is hanging by his side, not shining like I thought it was; Xion's is nowhere in sight. Their faces are pale and frightened, as if I'd only imagined those hard, merciless expressions as they prepared to destroy me.

"Get off..."

"Don't hit me again, okay?" Lea cautiously loosens his grip and I roll onto my stomach, pressing my face against the cool sheets. We're in the Garden...at home...it was a nightmare...I hadn't thought they would come back...

"Lea..."

"Are you okay, Isa?" Xion asks in a small voice. I hear Roxas dismissing his weapon.

Just a nightmare. They never tried to kill me, never tried to 'cleanse' me. We spent the day unpacking boxes, ordered take-out for dinner, went to bed, the rest was all a _dream_... "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Roxas says dubiously.

I don't look-

I get out of bed so quickly that I accidentally strike Lea, but I have no time to apologize, I must get to a mirror, a mirror-

They're green. _Green_. I stare, looking for any trace of gold, but there's nothing. I am...myself...

I try to take deep breaths. I have to take several before I stop shaking.

"Isa, really, you okay?" They're all clustered in the bathroom doorway, watching me.

"I'm _fine_. Go back to bed. You have school - and work - in the morning. _I_ have school. Go to bed."

"Gee, I'll try, but it's kind of hard to sleep when you scream like that," Roxas complains, but shuffles away. Xion eyes Lea, then returns to her room after he nods at her.

I try to hurry back to bed before he can say anything, but he catches my shoulder as I pass, and I brace myself for uncomfortable questions. "You said they'd stopped."

"They _had_. I don't know why there was a recurrence."

"Isa- Hey. Look me in the face and tell me you're all right."

I realize, to my displeasure, that I'm avoiding his eyes, so I force myself to look at him. "I am well. It was merely an unpleasant dream, but I see now how foolish my fears were. I'll be all right."

"...Okay." He lets go, and to my relief, he does not press the issue.

Until it happens again the next night.

o.o.o

_"No- NO! Not this!"_

_"Quiet, boy."_

_"You _won't use me for this_!"_

_Lea's battered body at my feet, agonized eyes full of betrayal, helpless to stop me as I raise my weapon for the final blow._

_"No! You won't make me do this! NO!"_

_Then I realize that the screaming is all in my head, my mouth has never moved, my face is like stone as I bring the claymore down and watch his blood splatter my boots._

_"NOOOO!"_

o.o.o

The harsh sobbing sound in my ears, it's my own voice, but it can't be because I've- For so long, he won't-

"Isa, Isa, Isa, wake up..."

It's so dark because my sleeve is pressed to my face. I can't see a thing, but I can't move my arms, either, I'm so desperate to keep them pressed over my face, as if I'm holding _him_ back. As if I ever had the power to stop him. "L-Lea..."

"It's okay, man, it's okay, c'mon, wake up..."

The room floods with light.

"I'm awake...Lea, I'm awake...Lea! Lea...!"

"Yeah? What is it? Isa, come on."

He's pulling at my hands, but I can't let him. "Lea...please..."

"Isa, sshh, come on."

"Wh-What...what color..." I force myself to move my arms, just a little. Enough for him to look. I trust him - I trust him to look at my ugly heart and see the real me. The shame feels like it's devouring me, but I owe him this glimpse at least. "...are my...?"

"They're green, Isa," he says gently. "They're green. It was just a dream."

I hide away my traitorous eyes again and dissolve into tears of relief, because I can't resist them anymore even though I sound terrible and feel like I have no dignity left. "I..."

"Ssshh." He pats my back and then puts an arm around my shoulders, settling down beside me. "It's okay." Then, voice lifted as if he's speaking to someone else, "He's fine, guys. Go back to bed."

The Keybearers - of course, that's where the light came from...curse them, why do they have to see me like this?

"Is he gonna do this every night, Axel?"

"I'll take care of it, okay? Don't worry about it."

"Get out!" I shout at them, my face still hidden.

"Geez, fine."

"He'll be okay, Axel...?"

"He'll be _fine_."

I'm not. At first, it's every night, though later, I am able to make it through some nights without having any dreams at all. "Some," however, is not enough. I'm _tired_ of this weakness, tired of looking like a fool in front of the other two, tired of robbing Lea of his sleep when he has to work so hard during the day. He never complains, though.

"'S okay, Isa," he mumbles, still half asleep as he stumbles out of bed and puts his arms around me. "They're green..."

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN LOOK!" I shout at him. I know he's having a difficult time, and I know he has to be right, but the panic clamped on my mind is not something that can be reasoned with. "YOU DIDN'T EVEN LOOK!"

"Flaming pants..." He shoves my hands away from my face. "See, they're _green_. Shut up."

I can't believe him anymore. I have to see, so I stumble to the mirror and snap on the light and gaze apprehensively into the glass, and sure enough, they are clear and green, like they're supposed to be. Like I knew they would be. Like I can't convince myself they are, even as I stand here looking at them. "He's left my heart...he's dead...he will never trouble me again..." A shudder goes through me, and I know helplessly that I can't _make_ myself believe this even though I know it to be true.

I pay more attention to them than usual the next morning, noticing the yawns and the tired faces. This is not taking its toll on me alone. All three of them need more rest, and they're not getting it with this arrangement. "This isn't working out," I say, annoyed that it comes out as a sullen mutter.

"Huh?" Lea says listlessly, stirring sugar into his coffee.

"I'll look for another place to live, or move back in with my parents if I have to. This isn't-"

"You're leaving?" Xion says in confusion.

"Yes."

"No." Lea reaches out and smacks the back of my head. "Isa's just sulking, as usual."

Roxas takes another bite of cereal and says conversationally, as if he doesn't care very much, "If he leaves, he won't keep waking us up in the middle of the night anymore."

"He'll still have nightmares, though," Xion says, poking at the pancakes on her plate with a fork. "He'll just be alone instead of with us."

"That's none of your concern," I snap.

"You're family. Of course it's our concern," Lea says. "Eat your pancakes."

"I'm not hungry."

"You think _I_ am? Eat them anyway."

He has a point. So I do. But I still don't want to live with them anymore. I hate that this weakness of mine has been so exposed to them - I'd rather suffer alone.

Of course Lea doesn't let me leave, thwarting and sabotaging me at every turn. He seems to get more stubborn and annoying the harder I try to resist him. "It's a _pain_," Roxas finally says in exasperation during one of our arguments, "but we just deal with it like we deal with everything else. It's not like you haven't done worse stuff to us."

"Axel says," Xion adds, "that people who live together annoy each other a lot, like how he and Roxas always leave the stupid toilet seat up instead of putting it down like you're supposed to." They've been living with a female all this time and have _still_ not developed the habit of being courteous in that manner? "So it's okay you're annoying about your nightmares, Isa. We know you can't help it."

This is exactly why I want to leave. Why do we have to _talk_ about it like this?

I try various things, such as staying up later and going to bed so exhausted that I don't have the energy to dream. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

"Isa."

Sitting in the dark again, pressed against the wall with my hands over my eyes, hearing Lea trying to soothe me in his patient, weary voice. "You're here with us in the Garden. You're safe."

"I c-could...feel him...in my heart..."

"Isa, you're _fine_. He's gone, and he's not coming back unless you're stupid and try something like using the corridors again or whatever. But I know you're not stupid, so you won't, so there's nothing to worry about."

"Lea..."

The next day, when I come out to take a break from schoolwork, I frown as the other three, who had been whispering together, suddenly go quiet and stare at me. "What?"

"Nothing," they all say in unison.

"..." Whatever it is, I don't care. I find something light to eat and then resume studying.

That night, when I wake up again, I am alarmed to find that there is more than one set of hands pulling me to my feet. "Lea-!"

"Sshh, it's all right."

"It's just us," Xion's voice says in the darkness, full of warmth, so different than in the dreams.

"C'mon," says Roxas. "We're gonna be up anyway, so..."

They push me into the living room and onto the sofa, which eases the sensation of my flesh creeping. Lea turns on the television as Roxas starts rooting through video discs, and Xion busies herself in the kitchen. The lamp lends a comforting illumination that's not bright enough to be overpowering. "Why are we here...? Go to bed."

"Can't sleep, because _someone_ keeps screaming," Roxas says, dropping onto the couch next to Lea and raising the remote. Xion pushes a mug of tea into my hands, then curls up next to me with a mug of her own. Their warm presences around me are somehow uncomfortable and soothing at the same time.

"Here's the deal, Isa," Lea says. "Every time you wake us up, you get the pony treatment as punishment. Maybe your nightmares'll clear up if you know what'll happen afterwards."

"The pony...?"

They really are trying to kill me. Admittedly, however, it's rather difficult to fear _anything_ (except going mad), when you're trapped in the same room as a children's cartoon with very bright colors, upbeat characters with very high voices, and a plotline so blatantly treacly and moralistic that I want to scream again, though for quite different reasons this time.

"I love this show," Xion murmurs happily.

"Lea, I am _begging_ you, turn it off, I promise I will never awaken you again." Because I am moving out first thing tomorrow morning.

"Man, the episode's not even over, chill."

We watch until it seems to go very quiet, until the high cartoon voices seem to echo in a deep silence, until both children seem to be asleep, resting heavily against us, and Lea seems nearly asleep, too.

The episode ends, and returns to the menu. After a moment, Lea slowly raises his arm and shuts off the TV. We sit there for a moment, the silence now complete.

When I break it, my voice is so low that it seems to barely disturb the peace. "I dream...that you're holding me down...so they can 'purify' me, with their Keyblades...the darkness is all burned up, the light chasing it away completely...but...I have no light in me...there's nothing but darkness...so when they finally finish...there's nothing of me left." There's a long pause. He's asleep. I'm both offended and relieved. "After everything I did to them, I suppose they've earned the right to tear me to pieces. I don't blame them. I just want nothing to do with them, and I'm sure they feel the same about me." I'm startled when Xion's arms curl around my waist and squeeze tight, as if in an embrace.

"Axel," Roxas murmurs, very sleepily, "tell Saïx...I mean Isa...I don't hate him...he makes good enchiladas."

What?

"Okay, Rox," Lea murmurs back, arm curling around me on the other side for an embrace of his own. "And hey, Isa...there's light in you. If there wasn't any, we'd hate you. But we don't."

"Don't hate you," Xion whispers, barely awake. "Saa-chan...don't hate me..."

Well, of course I don't hate her. Not anymore. I don't like her at all, but that's only because our personalities are incompatible.

Over time, the dreams grow less frequent and less intense, until I am able to wake up soundlessly, and eventually resume sleeping on my own. My nightmares also gradually shift into more bizarre scenarios, often including colorful equines... I would never admit it to the others, but I prefer these new nightmares to the ones based on memories.

"Hey," Roxas realizes one morning, "you haven't woke us up for a while now."

"Are you getting better, Saa-chan?" Xion asks eagerly.

"I'm fine. Pass the butter."

"Unless we're just sleeping through it now?" Lea says, sounding a little worried.

"You're not," I grumble. "And besides, I'm not a child, I don't need to be coddled through bad dreams like-"

"Aw, I'll miss our Midnight MLP Marathons..."

"Yeah."

They gave those sessions a _name_?!

o.o.o

Author's Notes: I'm not into the more blatant kind of "hurt/comfort," so Caxceber's kiriban didn't come out like a lot of hurt/comfort fics do. But after I wrote the hospital scene she'd asked for, this plunny came out of nowhere and _savaged_ me, and it's a lot more hurt/comfortey than the original fic, so I suppose that Caxceber has two kiriban now. ^^;;;; Heh, I'll probably be really embarrassed about this fic when I re-read it in the future. .

Complete: 57/101


	60. Find your Love (theme 76)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**76. Find your Love (rough draft)**

Summary: Because True Love conquers all! 8D

o.o.o

Later, Saïx would blame it on way too many consecutive nights of less than three hours of sleep, and an overabundance of coffee in his system. He nearly wrecked his car three times while driving home from work around midnight, stubbed his toe and then his elbow and then his knee on the way up the stairs to his apartment ("Oh! Careful, Mr. Saïx!" the prototype chirped brightly each time), then found, when he finally reached the top, that he had misplaced his keys.

Saïx dropped forward to rest his forehead on the front door, only dimly registering the thunking sound when flesh met painted wood, closed his eyes, and seriously considered just falling asleep where he stood.

"Let me get that for you, Mr. Saïx!" the prototype offered cheerfully. It pointed a finger at the doorknob, there were some clicking and whirring sounds, and then the lock exploded.

Saïx stared at the blackened hole for a long time. Then he wordlessly pushed open the door and trudged inside.

He threw down his briefcase, threw down his coat, kicked off his shoes, and gobbled down five-day-old fast food leftovers in the fridge that tasted like cardboard and might or might not have gotten a little moldy on the left side. Saïx had deliberately refused to double-check.

The prototype plopped down in a chair across the table from Saïx. Its hair was a brilliant shade of crimson that rather hurt Saïx's eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about your feelings," it suggested genially.

Saïx peered blearily at it. "Are you male or female?" he asked in confusion. He hadn't even checked the box, just grabbed the first one off the stack.

"I am a unisex non-hentai model designed for either single or group play, though of course my functions adapt and become more specialized as the game progresses. For example, would you like to start by picking a gender?"

Saïx groaned. "I'm off the clock." Theoretically. Though seeing as the whole point of taking these units home was to put them through trial runs, he was pretty much going to be on the clock 24/7 for a while. "At the very _least_, I need more sleep before I can start taking proper research notes..."

"Oh, not to worry, I shall be recording every moment of the game directly."

"I don't care," Saïx snapped. "I'll be making my own records. I don't trust machines."

"How odd that you make your living working for a video game developer, then."

"Believe me, I am constantly aware of the irony," Saïx said, wishing he had enough energy to get up, walk to his room, and fall into bed.

"By the way, it's a bit counterproductive to keep thinking of me as a machine. At least give me a name."

"I don't care," Saïx groaned. "Pick one yourself." There was a long pause, during which he nearly fell asleep on the table. Then came the astonished, almost tremulous response.

"I...I'm allowed...to choose my own name?"

Saïx frowned. The emotional range was a lot more creepy in reality than it had been in theory. "Yes, that's fine."

The prototype practically beamed at him. "I've decided that I like you a lot, and have accordingly credited you with a high number of startup points. My name is Axel, and I am now male. Do you have any objection?"

"No. I don't care."

"Wonderful. I mean about your acceptance of my new identity settings, not your continued display of apathy. Truthfully, I'm a bit concerned - it's not healthy for a person to show so much disinterest in his surroundings, particularly when in the vicinity of a companion who was literally made to adapt to his preferences and personal..."

That was around the time Saïx began spacing out in earnest. He slumped there in a sort of stupor, with the prototype's endless stream of chatter washing over him.

"...but really, we FODF-8's are _far_ superior to the CA-4's...how about you? Personally, I'd just _love_ to have a KOD-13 of my very own, or maybe a 14, but obviously that'd be a bit difficult, considering the current legal status of non-humans..."

Saïx thought he might have been making vague "Mm hmm" and "Yes" and "I suppose" sounds. _'Just...get up...put one foot in front of the other...just try to...unblur long enough to...'_

"...and if you truly want to find your love from the past and rekindle that lost flame, I say to go for it! You're still young, you've got only one life...!"

_'Are we talking about love now?'_ "Mmm hm." He thought he might have been intending to ask a question, but it took so long to recall what the inquiry was that he forgot to ask it before he'd even successfully remembered it.

"...and _voila_, plane ticket is purchased and ready! Would you like me to escort you to...?"

"Please," he mumbled gratefully, reaching out a hand. He was so relieved to be helped out of his seat, and so confident of being led to his room, that he didn't even try to stay conscious.

When Saïx awoke, he was halfway around the world on a flight to Agrabah, with an e-mail from Axel wishing him best of luck on his apparent quest to find the girl he'd had a crush on in junior high school.

"THIS IS WHY I DON'T TRUST MACHINES."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: **The plot for this theme was heavily inspired by the 128th **_**Megatokyo**_** Webcomic, "osana najimi" by Fred Gallagher.** Tsubasa's the pseudonym of a Japanese Sony employee who receives charge of Ping, a prototype love simulation game (non-hentai model) in the form of a robot teenage girl. Following her programming, she persuades Tsubasa to sell everything he owns and leave the country in pursuit of an old flame who'd moved away. Ping is a sweet, innocent character who always has the best intentions, even when it results in disaster. As played by Axel...I'm not entirely sure, heh.

Also, I wrote this _long_ before I became a SaiJaz fan. XD I changed the destination of Saïx's flight to Agrabah... This drabble is soooooooo old, at LEAST a year old, if not more. I don't know why I posted so many much newer ones before finally getting around to posting this one. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 58/101


	61. Monster (theme 93)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**93. Monster (rough draft)**

_For Axel/Saïx Day, 7 August 2013_

Summary: Axel gets tired of their uneasy truce.

A/N: Mini-sequel to "Gleam." (Not the one I said I'd write, Thex; this is just a random drabble set in that universe.)

o.o.o

Back to scrounging for food and sleeping on the streets, but this time, it wasn't because he was broke.

Far too many innkeepers or shop owners would look at Saïx's eyes and turn them away, as if he was some kind of monster they didn't want anywhere near their property. Saïx never betrayed a trace of expression - their rejection might as well have bounced off him as if he was a rock. But it annoyed _Axel_, watching pedestrians scurry away from the Diviner all the time, pulling their children out of reach, whispering amongst each other as they sent him ugly looks. Saïx sometimes had to walk around shrouded in a hood so as to not spook people as much, though even that didn't help much since it didn't exactly help them blend in.

There came a night - camping in the woods, yet again - when Axel, fed up, suddenly rummaged to take something out of his pocket and leaned over to thrust it into Saïx's hand.

Saïx stared at it like it was a dream. "...This is my moonstone."

"Your powers of observation are brilliant," Axel said, adjusting the spit so as to keep the meat cooking fairly evenly.

"...I'm not going to hand over your firestone, you know."

"I figured you wouldn't."

"..._Axel_."

"_What_, Sai."

"Why did you do this?" Saïx demanded, almost completely at a loss. He was no longer a prisoner, could no longer be manipulated by his heartstone; Axel had simply _given_ him his freedom without a struggle. Such a thing was unheard of between any but the closest friends.

"I'm just sick of this whole humans vs. Diviners thing, okay? You're a person. You have feelings. No one can ever tell what they _are_, but you have them. And I just..." He shook his head. "Look, I just didn't want that thing taking up space in my pocket, okay? It gets in the way."

"...I will continue to hold your firestone hostage."

"I know it's hard to remember things from two whole minutes ago, but you already said that, Sai."

"You can't simply take or steal it back," Saïx went on, sounding slightly frustrated, "it must be given willingly. You already knew that. I can make you do my bidding, and now you no longer have an equalizing power. You've essentially put yourself at my mercy, human."

"So, what," Axel said impatiently. "You gonna make me grovel at your feet? Do a strip dance? Play the mandolin with my teeth? Hurry up, then; I wanna go to bed soon."

Saïx shook his head. "I simply do not understand your alien thought process."

"Now you know how I feel. 'Night, Sai." Axel climbed into his bedroll and settled down to sleep.

"...Good night, Axel," Saïx finally murmured.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: **...I guess that a Diviner's secret name can't be used against him if it's spoken by either another Diviner or his partner? :/** I'm too tired to care at the moment. XD

Kinda lame, and short; but honestly, I'm getting tired of working on this challenge...the remaining themes that I haven't written yet are hard to come up with stories for - I can't think of anything for them, no matter how often I look at the theme list. *sweatdrop* At least I actually wrote this _for_ AkuSai Day, though, which is better than the random drabble I flung up for poor AkuSaiRokuShi Day. *sweatdrop* I've got a couple of other stories I'm trying to get ready to post, but I wanted at least one AkuSai fic up before midnight.

Complete: 62/101


	62. Shine and Reflect: Meeting (event 1)

Shine and Reflect

Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Taiyou to Tsuki (Sun and Moon) challenge by Minty Sakura, written by Raberba girl

Summary: Thirteen moments in the lives of Lea & Isa. (No slash.)

Introduction: There's no way I _wasn't_ going to take on this challenge. XD I'm basically just gonna go down the timeline and pick significant moments for the boys to write about. I'm only supposed to do ten, but there's thirteen I want to write. ^^;

I'm posting the stories for this challenge alongside the stories for Wishing-Fire's 101 theme challenge (on FFN and MMO), but they're two different series for two different challenges. I just want to keep all my AkuSai stuff together as much as I can. *sweatdrop*

And yes, I've been taking on a million challenges lately - I'm not going to work hard to finish most of them, it's just for fun, and to see how far along I get. (This one, though, I will try to finish, since it is so short and for my OTP.)

**Event 1 - Meeting (rough draft)**

He looked tiny, cornered against the wall and surrounded by all those big fourth graders.

"Say that again, punk."

The blue-haired kid didn't sound scared when he said, "I guess you're not deaf, just stupid. So I can call you a rank, crook-pated ratsbane, and you'll have no idea what I'm talking about."

_'Nope,'_ Lea thought from where he was watching behind the fountain. _'No one knows what the heck you're saying, but we know you're making fun of him. They're gonna beat you up now.'_

The main bully grabbed the kid by the front of his shirt and started to hit him.

Lea hated seeing kids get hit. He hated seeing big people pick on little people. He hated seeing a weak person be brave and get squashed for it. So he ran out, yelling, and started hitting the bullies as much as he could before they stopped being surprised and started to hit back.

He felt like he was on fire. It was awesome, even when it did start to hurt. He wasn't really winning, but he wasn't on the ground yet and his fists were connecting and he was starting to see blood. _'I can take 'em,'_ he thought for one thrilling moment.

Then someone _did_ knock him to the ground, and now it hurt more and he couldn't hurt them back so he couldn't ignore the pain anymore, and he screamed in helpless rage and was about to scream again when someone else's bellow drowned it.

He thought it was a new person at first, maybe a junior high schooler who'd seen the fun, but then he realized it wasn't. The other kid had been having his butt handed to him, but now somehow he was throwing them off like some kind of tiny superhero. The guys hitting Lea stopped, staring at the little blue-haired monster behind them in surprise.

Then the kid started kicking their butts, with no style or grace but sheer power and speed; he didn't seem to even notice any of the strikes they landed. His eyes looked weird. Some of the bullies ran away; the rest jumped him as a group. Lea, forgotten, grinned wildly and leaped at their backs.

When it was over, the other kid collapsed. Lea looked at him in surprise, because he hadn't thought he was _that_ hurt. He crouched down and shook his shoulder. "Hey. Hey, Berserker. Wake up."

The kid stirred and moaned, "So tired..."

"Man, you really are a berserker, just like on TV... Come on, let's go." Lea pulled the kid's arm over his shoulders and dragged him away.

The kid woke up when they were heading across the town square. "Ow...what happened?"

"We kicked their butts," Lea said happily.

"Oh..." A pause. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lea! What's your name?"

"Um, Isa... Hey, let go."

Lea did, and watched as Isa checked himself. Like Lea, he was bruised and bloodied and limping, but he could walk on his own now. "My glasses!" he cried in horror.

"Sorry," Lea said uncertainly.

"Mother's going to be-" Isa shuddered. "Never mind Mother; Father will be _furious_ with me."

Lea winced in sympathy. "Then you want some ice cream before you go home?"

"What?"

"Like, so you'll be stronger, and can take it better."

"Ice cream doesn't make you strong."

"Yes, it does! When you taste that sweet sea-salt, like eating ice cream at the beach with your friends, and even afterwards it's like-"

"Sea salt isn't sweet."

Lea stared. "Haven't you had sea-salt ice cream before?"

Isa wrinkled his nose. "That does not sound tasty at all."

"_Are you crazy_?!" Lea seized his arm and started dragging him away.

"_Ow_! Let go!"

"Not 'til you eat some sea-salt ice cream and start yelling that it's the most yummy thing you've ever tasted in your entire life!"

"No! Let go! Help, I'm being kidnapped...!"

Later, Isa stared at the bar of ice cream in his hand, after having taken the first bite. "...This is delicious."

"_Best thing ever_, right?!"

"Of course not. I still prefer mint chocolate chip." Isa took another bite. "But this is very good."

"Best thing ever, best thing ever, best thing everrrr...!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Lol, thank you to the Shakespeare Insult Kit. XD I bet little Isa came across it somewhere and had fun with it.

This drabble should be 800 words longer...my usual problem is writing _above_ the word count, not below. o.O Hopefully I can make up for it with the extra three stories...

Complete: 1/10 (1/13)


	63. Bastion of Light: Mystery (theme 39)

Bastion of Light

Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Hollow Bastion / Radiant Garden challenge by WishingDreamer5, written by Raberba girl

Summary: A collection of stories that take place in Radiant Garden (a.k.a. Hollow Bastion).

Introduction: I kinda got the "Bastion of Light" title from my friend Kiryn. ^^; If you don't mind strong language or intense issues, check out her fic _Racing Yellow Lights_, it's amazing!

This challenge is one of the ones I've had my eye on for a while (though, as usual, I will be breaking rules, since I am incapable of consistently sticking to word count limits :/). Although this is the first fic I've _posted_ for this challenge, I've actually been working on A-Sign-of-Insanity's contest prize for several months now, which is a one-shot built around about half the themes for this challenge. I also have some ideas for themes that are unrelated to Sign's story, most of them in the _Beyond the War_ universe.

This first story here is just a random AkuSai fic.

**Mystery (theme 39)**

Summary: Young Axel finally discovers the fate of his younger siblings.

A/N: Narrated by Axel, very shortly after becoming a Nobody. Although it starts out and ends in the Castle That Never Was, a significant portion of it takes place in Hollow Bastion.

o.o.o

The last few days have been so...

I mean, I know it's been days, at least two or three of them. I slept a lot. I sat and stared a lot. I don't really know what I was staring at, because this is the first time I've noticed what this place is like, this place where I've been a zombie for however long it's been. White walls, utter silence, almost nothing in the room other than me and this bed - I'm seeing it all for the first time, yet I know I've been here all along.

_'Isa?'_ That's my first thought. My first real, coherent one, anyway. A face, a name, the knowledge that he's important for some reason and I should know what happened to him. "Isa?"

Hearing the sound of my own voice seems to finish waking me up. What am I doing lying around in bed for? I should get up and figure out what's going on.

...I don't particularly want to. And I don't particularly not want to. But I should.

I walk through doors and corridors and up and down stairs and something I think might have been an elevator until I finally come across another person. That guard with the eye patch, wearing the same kind of black coat I am. Braig. He grins at me.

"Well, good _morning_, sleeping beauty."

The corner of my mouth twitches a little, and I have a feeling I should laugh, but I'm not sure why and I don't really care and I don't feel like laughing, so I don't. "Where's Isa?"

"Seriously, is that the only thing you know how to say?"

Why, have I asked him about Isa already?

"Your boyfriend's in the dining room. You might wanna check on him and make sure he's getting his breakfast into his mouth. Xaldin hates seeing food go to waste."

What is he talking about? "Where's the dining room?"

He gestures, and some weird-looking white creature sort of stretches out of the ground. It stands between us, swaying from side to side like it's drunk.

"What's that?"

"A Dusk. It'll show you the way."

I follow the Dusk thing until I get to a room with a big table in it. A couple of big guys are sitting at one end, both wearing black coats. I vaguely recognize them - I think they were palace guards, too. The one with auburn hair is just sitting there eating and ignoring everyone, but the one with black hair is frowning over at the third person in the room. Isa, in a black coat just like everyone else, sitting with a bowl of food in front of him and a spoon in one hand, but he's not moving at all. After a while, I finally notice that he's not blinking, either.

I go over and wave my hand in front of his face. He blinks. "Isa," I say. "I found you."

He stares at me for a long time before he finally says, "Lea."

"Yeah. That's my name."

We keep looking at each other for a long time, until I realize that that's not what we're supposed to be doing.

"You're in here to eat, right?"

Isa looks down at the bowl.

"That eye patch guy said to eat."

Isa puts the spoon in the bowl and scoops up some broth and puts it in his mouth. He swallows. Then he stares at the bowl some more.

Come to think of it, I don't know what _I'm_ supposed to be doing, now that I've found Isa. I finally decide to sit down in the chair next to him. He doesn't move. I stare at him for a long time, waiting for something to happen.

The guy at the other end of the table finally says, "_Eat_. I didn't spend good munny on that food just to see it start uselessly congealing."

Isa puts another bite in his mouth.

"I hate new recruits," the guy mutters under his breath.

After a minute, it occurs to me that _we're_ the new recruits, Isa and I. "Hey," I say. Both of the men look at me. "Where are we?"

"This is the Castle That Never Was," says the auburn-haired guy.

I frown until I remember their names. Xaldin and Lexaeus. That's what the others had called them when they-

I stand up again. There's something wrong. "You guys attacked us."

Neither of them answer. They're just sitting there eating, looking bored.

"Hey. You _hurt_ us, and dragged us here - isn't that kidnapping? That's wrong. You guys are bad people. Why are we here with you?"

No one says anything, then Xaldin finally mutters, "I hate them so much" again and takes another bite.

Why is no one reacting the way they're supposed to? Why am _I_ not reacting the way I'm supposed to? Something horrible happened to me and my best friend, right? Shouldn't I _care_ about that? "Hey. Isa."

"What," he says dully.

"_Isa_. Wake up." I snap my fingers in front of his face, but all he does is blink and stare at them. "Isa, let's leave here."

He puts the spoon down and stands up obediently, like he was just waiting for someone to give him different orders.

"Isa... We should escape, right?"

"It's better to be with you than by myself," he says. His voice is completely flat, and his face has no expression.

"Hey. Isa? You're not a robot, are you?"

"I'm not a robot."

"..." I grasp his arm. He doesn't respond in any way. "Hey. Isa. Call me stupid."

"You're stupid," he says, in the exact same monotone as before. The name-calling was supposed to reassure me, but instead, it just seems even more wrong than before.

"Isa? Smile."

Nothing happens for a while. Then he finally says, "I can't. I forgot how."

I let go of his arm so I can put my two pointer fingers on each corner of his mouth and pull them upwards. I hold them there for a minute. Then I let go. "That's how."

Nothing happens again, except that his mouth twitches a little.

"I can't," he finally says.

"...Well, whatever. Let's get out of here."

"All right."

Even though I'm kind of expecting the other two guys to say something, they don't try to stop us at all.

We wander around the castle for a while. I hit Isa a few times and call him names, because he's not acting at _all_ like he used to before we were kidnapped, but it's like he's a doll or a robot. I hug him and tell him he's my best friend forever, but he still just stares blankly at me like a dollbot.

"Isa. Something happened to us. We both changed. That's a bad thing, right?"

"I suppose so."

"...Shouldn't we try to fix it?"

"Should we try to fix it first, or get out of this castle first?"

I guess he's got a point. One step at a time. "Let's get out of the castle."

"All right."

We finally find some more people, in a gray room with couches and a huge window. It's nighttime outside, and the moon in the sky is shaped like a heart. "Look at the moon, Isa."

He tilts his head and studies it. He finally says, "The moon is either an orb or a crescent."

"But look, it's a heart. That's bad, right?"

"...Yes," he finally says. It's good to hear him confirm it, since I'm not sure about anything anymore. I wish I could _feel_ something, something to tell me if I'm doing the right thing or am totally off, but I can't feel anything. My chest feels empty.

"Stop dawdling," some guy snaps at us. Black coat again. The kid typing on a laptop across the room is in a little black coat, too. "Come here and get your missions. Ienz- That is, Zexion will be teaching you some basics today."

I stare at him. "What?" We're supposed to be escaping, aren't we?

I don't know if it counts as escaping. Isa and I follow the kid through some black tunnel thing, and when we come out, we're in Radiant Garden, and it's daytime. That means we escaped the Castle That's Invisible or whatever, right? Except the kid's still here.

"All right," he says, in a monotone like Isa. "First of all, I want to make sure you can remember your new identification. Who are you?" He points at Isa.

"...I'm Isa," Isa says softly.

"No. That's wrong. Your name is Saïx, you are Number VII in the Organization, and your title is the Luna Diviner." He turns to me. "What about you?"

I can't remember what they told me back in that gray room, but I don't care. "My name is Lea Deucalion Hayes," I say loudly.

"Wrong again. You are Axel, Number-"

I turn and walk away. After a minute, I realize that I'm alone, so I go back and take Isa's arm and pull him along. He stumbles, then finds his gait and paces behind me like a pet dog.

"Isa, wake up," I tell him.

"I'm already awake."

"No. Wake _up_. Stop just doing everything I tell you to."

"Why?"

"Because..." I have to think awhile before I come up with the answer. "Because Isa doesn't do anything I tell him - he's the one always bossing _me_ around. You're Isa, so you have to act like Isa, okay?"

"I don't remember what Isa was like."

I stop and look at him. "Really?" It's hard to remember things from before we were kidnapped, but they're still there, memories drifting around like islands in the ocean of my mind.

Isa's face is still so blank as he looks at me. "There's just darkness. A white room. Someone told me to eat. You told me to escape. You're more important than them, so I should be with you."

"..."

"..."

"...That's all?"

"That's all."

He lost more than me. My hand tightens on his arm when I finally realize it. I lost a lot, but for some reason, he lost _everything_.

"...Just stick with me, Isa, okay?"

"Yes."

"Say, 'Obviously, idiot.'"

"Obviously, idiot," he says in a monotone.

"...Never mind."

We don't get very far. A wiggly shadow with hands and feet and glowing yellow eyes comes out of the ground. Then more of them do. I don't know what to make of them until they start clawing at me, and the shock of pain leaves me breathless for a minute. It's the closest thing to _feeling_ I've had since I got out of bed, and I actually try to kneel down so they can reach me better.

Isa stops me, pulling on my arm and dragging me back a few steps. "Get away."

"No, I want-"

"They're hurting you."

"I...feel..."

He presses his palm against one of the cuts, as if trying to push the blood back into my skin.

A huge book comes crashing down on the shadows' heads, over and over until they pop into wisps of smoke and disappear.

Zexion stands there, frowning a little. "Those were Heartless. You need to learn how to fight them."

We stare at him for a while. Isa's grip on me tightens. "...Okay," I finally say.

I get the idea that I should enjoy being able to throw around these spiked wheel things and hurling fire wherever I want, but I don't really care about it. It's just one more thing Zexion's nagging me to do. I don't even know what I _do_ want, though. I'm back in the Garden with my best friend, but...the place looks pretty trashed...we've been in the castle the whole time, because not much outside of it has survived. I'm not even sure my house still exists anymore.

"I wanna go look for my family," I say.

Zexion looks back at me. "They're not here."

"You don't even know, because we haven't looked. I'm gonna go look."

"Either they've turned into Heartless, or they're in Traverse Town. There's nothing left for you here, Axel."

"...I used to have a little brother. And a sister. I still have a sister, but I used to have two. You know what happened to them, Zexion?"

"No. And I don't care. Neither should you."

"You're wrong. I don't care, but I _should_. I'm going to go look for them. Because Zeph and Bel disappeared long before-" I remember now. I _remember_. "We'd almost found them. We found the others who'd disappeared, I _know_ Zeph and Bel had to be there, too. Isa even found computer files with their names, but we couldn't read them because you guys came barging in and..."

I turn and head for the nearest stairs, with Isa trailing after me. I have to go down. Down and down, until I reach that room with the computers, the computer that had files on my little brother and sister. "I have to find..."

"Lord Xemnas will not be pleased about how off-task you've been during this entire mission," Zexion says, but I ignore him. I wish Isa would talk more, but he doesn't say anything except when I ask him questions.

"Say something, Isa."

"Something."

"No. Come up with something out of your own head."

"..."

"What's your favorite book, Isa?"

"I don't remember."

He's _definitely_ messed up, there's no way the real Isa couldn't have answered a question like that.

"I'm gonna find some stuff for you to read in a minute, okay, Isa?"

"All right."

"...Do you remember how to smile yet?"

He's silent for so long that I think he didn't understand the question. Then he says "No," and I realize he'd been trying to smile but failed.

"Well...it's okay, buddy. We'll work on that."

"All right."

We find the room. We find the computer. It's busted, so I hit it a few times, but it doesn't help. Isa's staring at the computer as if he's actually _looking_ at it, instead of just staring into space, so I tell him to work some magic. He fiddles with the wires for a minute, then the screen lights up.

"Good job, Isa!" I tell him.

He stares at his hands like he's not sure how he did what he just did.

I start typing in Zeph's and Bel's names. The computer keeps throwing error messages at me, and I notice that Isa's staring at it again, so I step aside to let him work. He doesn't do anything. I take his hands and put them on the keyboard, and he still doesn't do anything for a minute, but then he slowly starts typing, and eventually he finds the files again. He's still a nerd even when he's a zombie.

"Good job, Isa!"

"...Don't say that."

I look at him. So he finally has an opinion on something? "Why?"

"...The way you say it. It's like when people talk to small children. Or dogs."

My lips twitch again, and I realize that the old Lea would have smiled, so I smile. "Sorry. I meant, thanks for helping me out."

He thinks a minute, then I guess he finally remembers what to say in reply. "...You're welcome."

I start reading.

_Subject FDF8-13, male, 7 years old. Unusual resistance to darkness in initial examinations, showed signs of affinity for wind, succumbed in fourth trial after failing to..._

_Subject FDF8-14, female, 5 years old. Predictable resistance to darkness considering relevant factors. Possible fire affinity, though this was not confirmed before subject succumbed in second trial due to..._

After a while, I remember that this is my little brother and sister I'm reading about. Zeph. Bel. Tortured and killed, from the looks of it; turned into monsters like the kind we had to fight on our way down here.

"They're dead." My voice feels as empty as my heart. Isa looks at me. "Zeph and Bel are dead." I turn and look at Zexion. "You guys killed them." He gazes back at me impassively.

I feel my hands curling into fists. Why can't I _feel_ anything? This is important, isn't it? I shouldn't just be standing here doing nothing, right? This is bad, _bad_. So act like it's bad. "You killed my little brother and sister." I make my voice go higher and higher as I say it until it sounds better, all wobbly like it's about to crack. As if I'm as upset as I should be. "You _killed_ them. They're dead."

I fall on my knees, and I scream. The thing I notice most is that it puts a strain on my vocal cords, which is something I can _feel_. That's good, so I keep screaming. "You killed them! You killed them!"

"What in the world are you doing?" Zexion says. "There's no need to shout."

"AAAAHHHH!" I pound my fists against the metal in front of me. I can feel that even more, so I hit harder. Isa stoops down and takes my fist in his hand and looks at it, at the red marks on my skin.

"I'LL MAKE YOU ALL _PAY_!"

"Stop it. We need to RTC."

"RAGH!" I get to my feet, belatedly realizing that I should have jumped up faster, but whatever; I'm standing now. "I'LL _KILL_ YOU!" I summon my weapons again.

Zexion sighs as he gets his book ready. "I do not recommend that you challenge me. I might be younger and smaller than you, but I have the advantage when it comes to skill and experience." More white creatures materialize around him, some of them Dusks but others with different shapes. I don't care.

"I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER TEN TIMES MORE THAN THEY DID!"

He totally kicks my butt. I could have _sworn_ I hit him at least once, maybe twice, but he doesn't look fazed at all as he freezes me and then electrocutes me and then just sits back and lets his goons beat on me. I manage to take out some of them, but there are too many.

"Isa, _help me_!"

That big club appears in his hand again. "...You want me to destroy the Nobodies?"

"SMASH THEM TO PIECES!"

He does. At first. Then Zexion gets his book out again and starts beating him up, too. Just when I think Isa's about to join me on the floor, his eyes start glowing and his hair starts floating a little and he lets out a roar that I wouldn't have imagined could ever come from his throat. It sends a shiver down my spine, and I watch as he decimates almost all of Zexion's little army. I even think for a minute that he can beat Zexion; he's got the kid on the run, Zex is defending and hiding and dodging, and I think that surely he can't last much longer.

Turns out he was just waiting. I guess Isa got burned out or something, because he suddenly collapses, and Zexion strolls over and slams that book on him without mercy until Isa's out cold.

I feel like I'm about to pass out, too, but I manage to get my arms braced so I can prop myself up a little. "I hate you," I tell Zexion.

He looks at me. "No, you don't."

The sad thing is, I don't. All this grief and rage has been an act. I feel _nothing_, and after all these weeks and months of missing my brother and sister and trying desperately to find them, or at least find out what happened to them... At last the mystery is solved, but I have even less than I did before. I have nothing. I really am nothing, nobody, an empty shell.

"Are you finished wasting my time, or is there more?" Zexion asks.

"...Nah, I'm good." I lay my head down on my arms and let myself lose consciousness.

When I wake up, I'm lying in bed in the white room again. There's not a scratch on me, I don't even have the pain left to help me figure out whether I'm still human or even alive. I wonder if it was all a dream.

I lost track of time. I've been lying here for who knows how long, just thinking about nothing. I could keep on doing that, but I know the real Lea wouldn't, so I get out of bed and go look for Isa.

He's sitting on a couch in that gray room, staring at nothing. When I come over to him, he looks up at me, and he frowns. It's the very first expression I've seen on his face since I found him in the dining room.

"Isa? We went to Radiant Garden yesterday, right? It wasn't a dream?"

"...We went to Radiant Garden yesterday."

"Good. Here, pinch me, just for good measure."

He stares at the arm I'm holding out to him, my sleeve pushed up so he can pinch properly.

"Isa. Take some skin between your fingers and squeeze it."

"Why?"

"Because it'll hurt. I can't hurt if I'm dreaming, or dead."

He lays his hand on my arm, but he doesn't pinch me. "You're not dreaming," he says softly, "or dead. _I_ can tell you that."

"...We really got ourselves in a mess, huh, Isa."

"...Lea?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you shouting back then?"

"You mean in the computer room?"

"Yes."

"Because I was upset, Isa. I found out some bad news. People scream and yell and flip out when they get bad news like that." They're _supposed_ to, anyway.

"...You felt something?"

I can't lie to him, not when he's like this and can't tell. "No, Isa. Forget it. I was just pretending."

He frowns again. This time, I remember to grin without my lips having to twitch. "Good job, Isa."

"What?"

I touch his forehead, where the frown lines are. "It's an improvement, at any rate. Next, let's work on your smile, okay?"

He nods as if I'm not joking, and come to think of it, I guess it never was a joke. These things that used to come so naturally to us are going to take effort and practice. "All right."

"We can do it," I say, and I smile again to show him.

"Yes." His expression changes so that it's not a frown anymore. It's not really a smile, either, but it's literally better than nothing.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: It's been two and a half weeks since I posted anything, so I finally hunted through my challenge theme lists for a quick plunny to draft. I said a few days ago that I'd try to post something before RepliNami Day - December 2nd is the day after tomorrow, but I did manage it in the end~

I'm thinking I might want to someday do an alternate version of this idea that takes place slightly earlier than this, because I've wanted for a long time now to write how Isa & Lea might have become Saïx & Axel.

Btw, they're still emotionless zombies in this story, but they'll regain more memories and figure out how to fake their old personalities eventually.

In my headcanon, Lea's father is dead, and his mother remarried (his stepdad is either a certain canon character or a throwaway OC, depending on which universe I'm writing); Lea's also got a younger sister, and two younger half-siblings who disappeared (turned into Heartless). I haven't figured out their age differences yet, so I might have to fix that in either this fic or others. *sweatdrop*

I've been distracted by a lot of non-writing projects, so I got a much later start on Christmas stuff than I'd intended. I have about 2,400 words written of the story about little Riku and his family, but at the rate I'm going, that might be the only thing I finish in time for Christmas. :/ Pairing Days have also been jumping on my muse again, so I don't know if I'll be able to resist temptation... I've already got a picture almost ready for VanNami Day, and story ideas for RokuKai, VanNami, and VanKai, which are all coming up in the first week of December. *sweatdrop* I've also got three other pictures in the coloring stage, including that one of Riku and his family that I kept talking about.


	64. Scarlet (theme 80)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Scarlet (theme 80) [rough draft]**

Summary: Young Axel & Saïx seek a certain woman who has what they need to complete their mission.

o.o.o

"Wretched hive of scum and villainy," Saïx muttered as they made their way through Tortuga.

"Aww, so you _were_ paying attention when I made you watch _Star Wars_."

"I paid more attention than _you_ did. You're the one who fell asleep."

"Hey, I was tired, and I've already seen it a hundred times."

The two Nobodies came up short as a man and a woman crossed their path. The man was stumbling and singing wildly off-key, while the smiling woman supported him as she went through his pockets.

"That's her!" Axel whispered. "She's got the key!"

Saïx cleared his throat. "Ahem, Miss Scarlet, we were-"

She hit him in the face and kept right on going without saying a word.

"Whoooaa... She knew you?! Do you have some 'past history' with her?!"

"Certainly not. She is simply a crude and overly suspicious person."

"Maybe she could hear you saying her name with only one T."

"That's ridiculous, and-" Saïx frowned. "What are you talking about? Her name is Scarlet."

"Scarlett. Two Ts."

"How-? You don't even now that."

"Yes, I do!"

"Why, because you took the time to research Tortuga prostitutes' pseudonyms before we came here?" Saïx said sarcastically.

"_No_, smarty. It's because I've seen the movie, and I was too lazy to find the remote and turn off the TV when it ended, so I just kept sitting there and watched the credits, and I saw her name."

"That still doesn't explain how you could _hear_ the difference between one T and two..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Apparently the Organization can watch the origin movies of the worlds they visit...? Idk, this theme was difficult, so I went with what first came into my head. (And no, Saïx has not had any past interaction with Scarlett, she just punched him because he was creeping her out. XD)

I didn't forget about this challenge series. XD I've just been extremely busy, distracted by shiny newer projects, and having my butt kicked by OCD. (Sometimes it's like I can _sense_ invisible demons tormenting and laughing at me, it's creepy. DX) Tonight I felt like just doing some random typing, and a couple of the F&M drabbles were short enough to get typed, quick-edited, and posted in one sitting. ^^;

Both this drabble and the next were written a long time ago, ftr.

Complete: 63/101


	65. Who (theme 85)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Who (theme 85) [rough draft]**

Summary: To Isa, 'that one' and 'this one' don't even seem like the same person...

**A/N: Takes place during a hypothetical KH3.**

o.o.o

"Just give me a moment to recover," Saïx - Isa - said irritably. "I can't wake up from being possessed and nearly dead, and just jump into battle as if I was a teenager in perfect health."

"But we're sitting ducks here-"

"_Lea_!" Isa cried in sudden warning.

A Keyblade swung out and crushed the Heartless that had been leaping at Lea's head.

"Thanks, Rox," Lea said gratefully.

"Is he okay?" the dark-haired girl on their other side asked. "He's just lying there."

"He'll be fine, Xi."

Roxas knocked away another Heartless. "But you guys are just sitting here. You can't even fight if you're helping Saïx."

_'I'm not Saïx anymore,'_ Isa thought, a little resentfully. "Go, Lea," he said aloud. "I can take care of myself." He tried and failed to get up.

"I can see that," Lea deadpanned.

The girl laid a hand on his shoulder. "Me and Roxas will split up and keep the Heartless from getting to you. You take care of...of your friend, okay?"

Lea smiled gratefully and nodded. The Keybearers exchanged a look and then rushed apart to battle in earnest.

"...I'm sorry," Isa muttered.

"I'm just glad you're back," Lea said happily, looking at his green eyes.

"Lea?"

"Yeah?"

"Who is that girl?"

"Huh?"

"The girl fighting over there. She looks like Kairi, but Kairi was wearing something different, and was supposed to have gone with the other Princesses."

Lea stared. "Isa, that's _Xion_!"

"What?"

"Xion, dummy! Don't pretend you still don't remember her."

"What are you talking about? Xion was destroyed by Roxas months ago."

"Yeah, but she came _back_, duh."

"What are you talking about? That isn't Xion!"

"Yes, she is!"

"Xion didn't have a _face_!"

"Are you _crazy_?!"

"No! I looked! I still get nightmares!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"What are _you_ talking about...?!"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Hanyou-no-miko on devART has a hilarious comic called "Puppets Are Creepy." XD For you readers not on FFN, the link is  art/Puppets-Are-Creepy-253666466

I've thought for a long time now, even back when planning the CatC sequel (LOL, speaking of old plunnies that got abandoned for newer ones... X''''D), that Isa probably wouldn't recognize Xion if he were ever to see her as a human after KH2. And, again, this drabble and the previous one were both written a long time ago, but it just took me a while to dig them out and get them typed.

**Sorry if I get even worse at answering messages than usual...** I'm about to start training for my new job, I haven't quit my old one, and I feel like I'm _drowning_ in things to do in my personal life. (There is sooooo much to type, and so many stories on hold simply because I'm so disorganized and therefore feel too anxious to continue them until things are better sorted out.) X( Not to mention that OCD's been really kicking my butt lately... It took me _five days_ of missing work and struggling with OCD, just to get myself out of the house so I could run an important errand (the errand itself only took about an hour). -.- I've been going to bed way too late on a regular basis, and wasting _so - much - time_, the days pass too quickly and I keep being bewildered as I finally get into bed at 1:00 in the morning, wondering where the heck all that time went, since I can't seem to account for it all. This alarms me, and I don't want it to affect my new job, **so I need to do my best to prioritize real life over socialization and hobbies. :/**

Gah, _Frozen_... I still haven't seen it yet, but the more I spoil myself for it, the more I want to watch it for real... Watching the "Let It Go" scene/song online gives me feels, and I'm pretty sure it's my favorite Disney song since _Treasure Planet_ came out in 2002. (As in, _Treasure Planet_'s songs were the most recent Disney songs that I thought were "good" rather than just "all right.") Elsa is so amazing and painful and beautiful in that scene, and Idina Menzel does such an _incredible_ job, of both singing and _acting_ while she's singing, it made me tear up the first few times I watched it. I wanna see that scene in context. X'D

I finally have a little collection of complete drafts... The Sora/Xion Day fic for a friend of mine is finally done, yaaaayyy, so you guys remind me to post it on Jan. 30th in case I forget. Also have a couple of Valentine's Day drabbles finished (Lea/Isa and Xion/Vanitas, both platonic), with several more partial drafts that I might or might not finish in time. I have other WIPs that are also important, but they might get put on hold some more if I end up being as busy as I anticipate in the coming weeks. orz

Complete: 64/101


	66. Spaceman (theme 95)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Spaceman (theme 95) [rough draft]**

Summary: Saïx is understandably jealous.

A/N: **This is sort of an "AU of canon." **The way the _Stepsiblings_ AU stories are. ...You'll see what I mean. (For example, **the lower members show up in this fic, but they're not numbered Organization members here.)**

o.o.o

"...and the heart collection numbers are up by 20% from last month," Saïx finished. "At this rate, Kingdom Hearts will be completed within the year."

"Excellent," Xemnas said in his slow, ponderous way. "Organization XIII, your performance this quarter has been commendable - particularly yours, Number VII."

Saïx showed no expression in his face or voice as he said, "Thank you, Lord Xemnas." On the inside, however, he glowed.

"Why is it called 'Organization XIII' if there's only seven members?" one of the Keybearers asked. Everyone ignored him.

"If there is no more business to discuss, you are all dismissed."

After the meeting, the Keybearers caught up to Saïx in the hallway and started their routine. "Please, pleeaase, Saïx, can we please go for ice cream today?"

"Pretty please?"

He sighed. "You both know how busy I am..."

They stared intently at him with huge, beseeching eyes, as if trying to will him into complying with their wishes.

"I simply don't have time."

"You _never_ have time."

"But you still always come with us, anyway."

"Only because you're so insistent..." He sighed again. "Very well. We will go to Twilight Town."

"Yay!"

"But not for long. I cannot be out late."

"Fine, c'mon, let's go!"

They all went to sit on the clock tower and eat sea-salt ice cream together, then Saïx returned home and got to work on processing mission reports.

A week later, Xemnas summoned them all to another meeting. Roxas and Xion trotted along at Saïx's heels, happy at the reprieve from work. Larxene, one of the guardians, winked and patted Saïx's butt as he passed her, earning a fierce glare in response.

"Oi, Sai!" Xigbar called from down the hall, "Thanks for the tip, it saved me a lot of work!"

"Why do I have the feeling that you did not take my advice as intended...?"

Saïx paused when a book was held out to him. "Thank you for the loan," Zexion said quietly. "It was most helpful."

"You're welcome," Saïx said, accepting the book back.

"Saïx," Vexen said briskly as he pushed past them, "I'll need to discuss something with you after the meeting."

"Very well," Saïx said.

Nearby, Xaldin snorted. "You're certainly popular."

"For the lowest member, you mean?" Saïx murmured, careful to keep the grumbling tone out of his voice. He _knew_ he was Xemnas's most valuable subordinate, but it would do no good to either flaunt that fact or seek acknowledgment.

"Let's go to Twilight Town after the meeting, okay?" Roxas said.

"Yeah, you _have_ to," Xion insisted. "We haven't gone for a whoooole week!"

"Sometime soon, I am going to have to discuss the term 'addiction' with you two..."

The meeting, as it turned out, was an introduction of the Organization's newest addition. "Number VIII: Axel, the Flurry of Dancing Flames," Xemnas announced.

Xigbar whistled in what could have been anything from approval to mockery. "You been practicing your title-assigning skills, boss?"

"Cooool," the Keybearers chorused softly, staring at the newcomer in admiration.

Saïx glared down at the figure in the center of the room, who had just thrown back his hood with a dramatic flourish to reveal a mane of vivid crimson locks. _'I don't see what's so special about him.'_

"Glad to be here," Axel declared with a grin, a picture of self-confidence in the midst of whatever circumstances must have landed him in this strange life. "I'm guessing that's my chair, huh?" He transferred into it as if he'd been using dark corridors all his life.

"Impressive," Zexion murmured.

"Saïx, why does he have those dots on his face?" Roxas whispered, too loudly.

"Hush, boy."

"Aw, the kid's just asking a question," Axel broke in, at full volume. He grinned at the children. "These are special tattoos - I got them when I became a Nobody. When I'm human again, they'll disappear."

"Human?" Xion said breathlessly. "But I thought Nobodies could never...?"

Axel winked and held up a finger, posing as if he knew some secret that all the veteran Nobodies didn't. "Have faith, sweetheart. We're _all_ gonna get our hearts back someday, I promise."

"He called me 'sweetheart'!" Xion squealed.

"Axel," Saïx spoke up, putting disapproval into his tone, "you are new here, so let me explain to you that it is the Superior who runs this Organization and these meetings. You will not speak out of turn."

Axel raised a crimson eyebrow. "Like you're doing right now?"

Xigbar gave a snort of laughter, and Saïx flushed. "That is-"

"Interruptions will now cease," Xemnas ordered. "Axel, you will accompany Zexion during your first week here, and consult him about any questions you may have. He shall instruct you in your duties."

_'Not me?'_ Saïx thought, taken aback. _'I'm more knowledgeable about rules and procedures than Zexion is...'_

"For now, we shall move on to the next order of business."

Saïx was not supposed to have emotions anymore, but he found that he was quite displeased with the changes he was forced to deal with as days passed. Such as Zexion and Vexen constantly gushing about the rookie's battle prowess. "It's incredible, his average heart point count is even higher than Xaldin's, and his tactical skill rivals Saïx's in some respects."

"Do you think he had some sort of former training?"

"Perhaps, but a good percentage of it is evidently natural talent."

"It certainly doesn't hurt that he's a fire-wielder, either. We've been needing one for quite a while."

Speaking of which...

"That is so awesome," Demyx crowed alongside the shining-eyed Keybearers, as all three watched Axel showing off. "We totally have to come up with a routine for that! Fire and water, you know. And we've got the kiddos to make everything sparkle. Hey, can you sing?"

"A bit," Axel said modestly. "I'm better at playing the piano."

"_Perfect_!"

_'I can play the piano, too,'_ Saïx thought resentfully, _'and sing MUCH better than I'm sure he could ever hope to.'_ Yet he said nothing, because he did not want to seem interested in the conversation.

He was also _very_ not interested when he once saw the newest member stealing away from Larxene's post with lipstick smeared on his chin and a silly grin on his face. It was Xaldin's job to oversee the guardians, and Saïx had more important work to do.

It wasn't just the scientists or the pawns, either. Axel had a natural charm and magnetism that got the Moogle showering him with discounts, Xigbar acting like they were best friends, Lexaeus actually _holding conversations_, and Xemnas giving him all the best assignments.

"I must protest, Superior!" Saïx burst out, unable to endure it anymore. "I was...under the impression, after our conference, that I would be responsible for the new world's mission prep."

"I have deemed Number VIII to be more suitable for the task," Xemnas said with no expression.

It shouldn't have taken this much effort for Saïx to remain calm. "With all due respect, sir, Number VIII is still inexperienced, he does not have the track record to prove his dependability, and-"

"Do you really go totally berserk in moonlight?" Axel interrupted. "They say there's zombies in the new world. If you take the job, mind if I tag along to film it? I think it'd be funny seeing you go nuts on a bunch of undead pirates... I can make a movie and call it _Wolf Man vs. the Zombie Buccaneers_! Actually, that'd make a pretty good name for a rock band, too."

_'I am PERFECTLY CAPABLE of maintaining self-control, even in challenging environments! I will _throttle_ him for this insolence if he keeps it up!'_

o.o.o.o.o

Saïx had never thought that he actually cared about spending lazy afternoons in Twilight Town with the Keybearers, but lately, he'd had an inexplicable craving for sea-salt ice cream.

Of _course_ he couldn't find them when he actually wanted them. His search finally ended in Axel's room.

_"STOP with this spaceman thing!"_ Woody demanded on the television. _"It's getting on my nerves!"_

"What is this?" Saïx said coldly, surveying the sight of Roxas and Xion sprawled comfortably with Axel in his room, all three eating ice cream as they watched a movie.

"_Toy Story_," Axel said, as if that answered the question. "Wanna join us?"

"He won't," Roxas said before Saïx could answer.

"Saïx is always busy," Xion said dismissively. The children had barely glanced up upon Saïx's entrance, and looked completely uninterested in his presence.

"Maybe he's not busy today," Axel suggested.

"No. I am." Saïx marched back out of the room and went to eat ice cream on the clock tower alone. For some reason, even the taste of sweet sea-salt did not alleviate his craving at all. "I hate him..."

Not for long, though. Saïx soon couldn't take it anymore and tried to turn Axel into a Dusk, but failed. Instead, the two of them got horrendously lost in Wonderland and had to work together in order to make their way back home. By the time they finally returned to the castle a few days later, they were best friends.

Some time later, at the meeting to introduce the Organization's ninth member, Saïx noticed Axel drumming his fingers restlessly on the arm of his chair. He pulled out his cell phone and texted, _"The great Flurry of Dancing Flames, nervous?"_

_"no way! r u?"_

_"Of course not. Who could we possibly get who is worse than you?"_

_"very funny"_

Number IX flung back his hood and fired a blinding grin up at the gathered members. "Hi! I'm Sora! I've been using a Keyblade for years! I've killed _oodles_ of Heartless, and I can even dual-wield now! Merlin trained me in magic so much that I don't really use it anymore, because the bosses die too fast and it's kind of boring, but I _can_ use magic, just so you know. I've got complete collection and synthesis lists for both of the Moogle guilds, and I've flown Gummi Ships all over the place and found so many Gummi Blocks that I've got, like, 50 different ship models now. Also, I'm friends with EVERYONE IN THE UNIVERSE! Let's be friends, too!"

Saïx closed his eyes in exasperated resignation, and all Axel could manage was a helpless laugh.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: **The thing about random phrases being good names for rock bands is one of Dave Barry's running jokes. :p** He's a humorist who's written a lot of newspaper columns and books.

This drabble is another pretty old one that I finally got around to typing. **It also makes way more sense if you've seen the first **_**Toy Story**_** movie! XD**

I kind of like this "post one new fic each day" thing I accidentally started...I'm gonna see how long I can keep it up. I've got _so many_ completed drafts that need to be typed, and I'm in a "write challenge drabbles on the computer" mood, too. In particular, I've got a couple more WTOW VanSo stories finished, the first installment of a StepsibsAxel drabble collection and a drabble about StepsibsSaix & Roxas's son are both ready to post, and I've been buckling down on the StepsibsSaix challenge, which I can't start posting until I finish (or at least have plunnies for all the themes). **Speaking of which, do you guys want to see the Saïx/Roxas's-son fic first, or the Axel's childhood drabble collection first?**

I burned my arm in the oven the other day...we're out of ointment, so after the scab peeled off (much sooner than I expected it to), I cleaned the wound with hydrogen peroxide (which really hurt X'D) and put a bandage on it. Yesterday when I pulled off the bandage in preparation to take a shower, I was surprised to see the burn (which is narrow and roughly .6 inches long) start bleeding ._. The blood washed off in the shower of course, and I also used regular liquid hand soap to clean it (which also really hurt, though not as much as the peroxide X'D), and I put another bandage on it afterward...should it still look this raw even though it's had a couple of days to heal? :/ I'd intended to buy ointment yesterday after church, but I ended up not going grocery shopping after all because it was _so freaking cold_ (and windy DX it was torture trying to make my way across the church parking lot), so I wanted to go home ASAP...

Complete: 65/101


	67. Break (theme 43)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: ****101 Theme Challenge**** by Wishing-Fire, written by Raberba girl**

**Break (theme 43) [rough draft]**

Summary: Young Axel & Saïx need a break.

o.o.o

It reached a point where even _Saïx_ couldn't drag himself out of bed until after all the other members had left. When he finally did hurry into the Grey Area (teeth unbrushed, stomach empty, and hair a wreck from neglect rather than design...), all he found were his and Axel's mission briefs lying on one of the coffee tables. Vexen had already departed. Saïx started his mission so late that it was the middle of the night before he could RTC.

Axel simply slept the entire day and never got around to even attempting his mission. "Haven't you guys ever heard of weekends?" he protested later when he was being reprimanded. "Seriously, we _never_ catch a break!"

"You're here to accomplish a goal," Xaldin said severely, "and if you're going to fail and make excuses, we have no use for you. Useless elements aren't worth keeping around."

"He's just tired," Saïx intervened quickly. "I know we can't feel emotion, but our bodies do grow weary from working so hard day in and day out with so little chance to rest."

"Looks like we have two useless bodies with no reason to keep breathing," Xaldin rumbled, summoning his lances.

"If I may contribute my input...?"

There was a pause as everyone in the Round Room redirected their attention to little Zexion. "What is it, Number VI?" Xemnas inquired.

The boy looked calm, though he briefly closed his eyes and then opened them again before continuing. "I have actually done some research on this subject in the past. My findings were interesting... A significant amount of evidence seems to suggest that workers of any kind are far more productive when allowed regular periods of rest and relaxation." He hesitated a moment. "When they are permitted short 'vacations,' as they are called."

There was a long silence. Axel and Saïx held their breaths.

"Show me this research of yours in the next few days," Xemnas finally said. "If I deem it credible and convincing enough, I shall _consider_ the possibility of regular rest periods."

And so, two weeks later, Organization XIII experienced its first ever vacation day, and Axel and Saïx showed their gratitude by never teasing, pranking, or otherwise harassing their younger colleague again. Mostly.

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This is an old fic again, which I kept in reserve for a busy day like today was. I'm too tired to draft anything new tonight... I woke up at 5:30 a.m. so I could get to work on time, then after lunch I drove home and had just enough time to change clothes before I had to head out to my other job, which I left at 6:00 p.m. X'D And I still have to shower and eat and get ready for work again tomorrow... *lazy orz* (Ftr, I LOVE working at the library. Love it. X3 I'm just really busy~)

By the way, in case anyone cares about making it easier on the people who work in your libraries - if you take anything off the shelf, don't try to re-shelve it, okay? Just leave it lying flat at the end of the shelf or something. It's a lot easier for us to collect/process/sort/re-shelve stuff that's obviously out of place than it is for us to try hunting down stuff that's shelved wrong; and shelving rules can be a _lot_ more complicated than you might think (depending on the category). ^^;

Complete: 67/101


	68. My Heart Can't Break ALAIWY: 21414

My Heart Can't Break As Long As I'm With You: Valentine's Day 2014  
>(rough draft)<br>A Kingdom Hearts fanfic by Raberba girl

_Valentine's Day, 14 February 2014_

Summary: Lea & Isa make Valentine's Day chocolate.

A/N: I can't quite decide if this is pre-canon or just a random AU. ^^; In any case, Lea & Isa are about 12-14 years old.

**I'm kind of mixing American and Japanese Valentine's traditions here. XD Sorry~**

o.o.o

They used Isa's kitchen, because his father was gone as usual and his mother would have just the right amount of presence without getting annoying. There were also no obnoxious younger siblings around to tease them or get underfoot, the way there would have been at Lea's house.

"Then why don't they just write out '_teaspoon_'?" Lea complained. "Why do they have to abbreviate everything?"

"I don't understand why this is even an issue," Isa said. "Haven't you ever cooked before?"

"Of course not! I'm a guy!"

"Being male doesn't mean you're obligated to be completely ignorant of culinary arts. There are places where cooks are _expected_ to be men."

"What does that have to do with teaspoons?"

"It doesn't, I- For heaven's sake, stop arguing and just pour the sugar!"

Mrs. Tsukino stepped up to them, carrying a box. "I found the cookie cutters. Will these do?"

Isa peered into the box. "I suppose so."

"Perfect!" Lea declared, scooping the box out of Mrs. Tsukino's arms and dumping it on the counter.

"Watch it, Lea! You nearly knocked the milk over!"

"Well, I didn't, so it's fine."

"How can you _survive_ being so careless all the time?" Isa wondered in exasperation.

"Hearts!" Lea proclaimed, lifting two heart-shaped cookie-cutters out of the box and holding them aloft in triumph. "Score!"

Once all the ingredients were combined in a bowl, Isa volunteered to mix them, since he claimed that he couldn't trust Lea to lose control of the electronic mixer and splatter the entire kitchen with chocolate. Lea's task was to smear cooking oil on the cake pans so that the batter wouldn't stick to the metal as it baked.

"Lea, don't write things in the cooking oil."

"Why not? It's not like the cake's gonna care, and no one else will see it."

"I don't think that girl you're after will appreciate the gift as much if she knew you'd written _C cups rock!_ under it."

"Which is why you won't tell her, yeah?" Lea grinned and put the cake pan back down on the counter as Isa rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, who are you giving yours to?"

"What?"

"Hello, you're making Valentine's chocolate. You got your eye on someone~?"

Isa frowned. "Of course not. I'm only doing this to help you out."

"Oh, come on, Isa! There's _no one_ you like?"

"_You_ are pretty much the only person at school I can tolerate."

Lea looked surprised, then smiled. "Huh. You really do hate people."

"I wouldn't hate them so much if they weren't so stupid..."

When the cakes were ready, they decorated them. Lea's ended up being such a disaster that he switched it with Isa's. "Man, it's no fair that you can decorate a stupid cake better than me!"

"You were squeezing the icing tube too hard, and going too fast."

"Baking is for sissies, anyway! Come on, let's go play basketball."

Isa rolled his eyes and followed Lea out the door.

At school the next day, Lea saw his crush in two classes, but chickened out on giving her the Valentine both times. At lunch, he had no appetite, and when Isa was unsuccessful in coaxing him to take even a few bites, he lost his patience.

"That does it. Isis is sitting three tables away; you are going over there _now_ to give her this Valentine."

"What?! Isa, are you nuts?!"

"Why would you accuse me of being crazy when you _baked the Valentine specifically for her_?"

"Yeah, but I just- I just wanna wait 'til a better time, when she's not, you know, surrounded by...everyone..."

"Either you do it now, or _I'll_ do it."

Lea gave him a startled look. "Huh?"

Isa snatched up his friend's Valentine box before Lea could stop him.

"Isa!"

"You have five seconds."

"Isa! Give it _back_!"

"...four, three..."

Lea tried to lunge over the table to grab it, but only succeeded in knocking his carton of milk over into Isa's lunch tray.

"...two, and now you owe me a replacement meal; one..."

"Isa!"

Isa stood up, holding the Valentine safely out of reach.

"Isaaaaa, wait wait wait, I'll do it but please at least just go with me!"

Isa paused.

"I'll _do_ it, _give_ me the freaking box, just...can you come with me? And don't say I'm pathetic, because I _know_."

"I wasn't going to say you're pathetic."

"Thanks," Lea mumbled. He took a deep breath, accepted the box back when Isa handed it to him, then walked stiffly over to where Isis was sitting with her friends.

o.o.o.o.o

After school, Isa bought the ice cream, about four times more of it than usual. He did not say anything until Lea's rage had faded to depression. Then he said, "For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure there are many girls in this school who like you. You were just unfortunate enough to pick one who...apparently...has different tastes."

"Yeah," Lea said savagely, "for cold-hearted jerks who can _bake_. This is so not friggin' faaaaiiiirrr!"

"If it makes you feel any better," Isa grumbled, "I have absolutely no interest in her."

"That just makes it worse! She wants you, not me, but you don't want her, so it's like all I want is the trash you leave behind and I'm not even good enough for _that_..."

"Don't be ridiculous. Here." Isa handed over another ice cream bar.

Lea ripped off the packaging in a bitter way. "Great, and now I owe you for all this ice cream, too," he snarled, biting into it.

"...This is all on me," Isa said quietly.

"Why, because you _feel bad_ for me? I don't want your pity!"

"It's not pity! I just...don't know what else to do."

Lea eyed him sulkily.

"I could care less what that girl, what any girl, what any_one_ thinks of me. But you...I don't like seeing you upset. I'd make her fall in love with you if I could, but I can't, all I can do is buy ice cream, and it...makes me feel useless." Isa glared off into the sunset and took a bite of his own ice cream.

Lea looked at him for a minute. Then he scooted a little closer, wrapped his arms around his knees, and rested his chin on them. "Both of us are useless, huh," he said dolefully.

"Valentine's Day is a stupid holiday, anyway," Isa muttered.

"Yeah. _Yeah_. Valentine's Day is stupid!" Lea declared, getting louder with each word. "Who needs love! I've got ice cream and a sunset and a super best friend, so screw everything else." He paused, then laughed. "Heh, 'screw' everything else..."

Isa rolled his eyes. "Very mature."

"We're in junior high, we're _supposed_ to be immature." Lea grinned. "So, hey, if all this is your treat, then that means I don't owe you for lunch anymore, right?"

"Don't push your luck just because I expressed a moment of sympathy..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: This was an idea I'd had a year or two ago for my original "Warmth to my Heart" plan. (The WtmH project has changed several times, and I'm back to starting from scratch. *sweatdrop*) Then I wanted to write it for Valentine's Day 2013, but failed. I FINALLY managed to get it done for Valentine's Day 2014 instead. 8)

It was also...a lot shorter and more depressing than I expected ._. I don't know if it was always that way or I simply forgot the 'plot' and failed to write it down, but in any case, I had to make up a bunch of stuff just to pad out the plunny enough for it to pass as a story. ^^; I think Isa was also supposed to have a crush, too, or at least someone he was making the chocolate for, but when I finally started writing the actual draft, he refused to crush on anyone. ^^;

All this time, I've been lazy and used cake for my Valentine's stories, because I already know how to make cake. But I finally looked it up and found that you can make chocolate candy, too, and I think that's actually more common. XD But I'd already finished the draft for this story by the time I looked it up, so whatever. Next time. *shrug*

In case you don't know, "C cup" is a bra size. "A" is the smallest, I think "C" is about average (though pretty big for an adolescent), "D" is bigger, etc.

I had a really hard time with the title again... I like the one I eventually came up with, but I feel like it's kind of wasted on this fic, so I might reuse it in the future (hence why I put a subtitle on this one, to distinguish it). It's one of the reasons I love AkuSai so much, the idea that Isa/Saïx's friendship with Lea/Axel is by far the most important relationship in his life, and that Lea/Axel's bond with Roxas & Xion is the only thing comparable to it on his own side (and, happily, there's no conflict of interest the way I write it X3). Girlfriends might come and go, but Lea & Isa's friendship with each other runs deeper than all that and will never be broken. It expresses the "I _don't understand_ why romance is hyped up to be so fantastic when it can NEVER COMPARE to the beauty that is _this_" mentality that I have as an aro ace. ^^;


	69. Out of my Mind (theme 92)

_**Fire & Moonlight**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic series by Raberba girl for Wishing-Fire's ****101 Theme Challenge**

**Out of my Mind (theme 92) [rough draft]**

_10,000 views DeviantArt fanfic kiriban / Christmas 2014 special for CaxceberXVI_

Summary: Sometimes Lea despairs of ever truly getting his friend back. Even after Xehanort's death, Isa remains trapped in his Dive to the Heart, unable to perceive the real world.

o.o.o

Lea was starting to feel vaguely guilty about how much he _didn't_ want to visit his best friend these days. _'But really, can you blame me?'_

Honestly...it was kind of boring a lot of the time. And the rest of the time, it _hurt_. Yet Lea still forced himself to keep coming, because it would be even worse if he stopped.

"Mornin', Isa." Lea sat down on the edge of the bed. He'd long since stopped bringing anything, or caring whether the flowers by the bedside were fresh or not. They were yellow carnations today, starting to turn brown around the edges. "How you feeling today?"

There was no response. The shaggy-haired man kept staring straight ahead, silent. The fact that his eyes were open meant nothing; the activity on the nearby brain monitor indicated that he was asleep. _'Good.'_ Isa didn't talk in his sleep. He only broke Lea's heart when he was awake. "Same old, same old, huh."

There was a long silence. Lea spent most of it looking at Isa's eyes, reassuring himself with their green color, unable to banish the creepy feeling that they'd start being poisoned by amber again if Lea blinked.

"...I miss you, man," Lea finally said. "Every day. I..._remember_ things more strongly now...how fun you used to be to hang out with... When the kids and I are talking or shopping or hanging out or whatever, I can imagine your voice so clearly. I know what you'd say and how you'd react...I miss you, Isa." After a long pause, Lea leaned close and whispered, "Come back to me." Slowly, he leaned back again. He wanted to take Isa's hand and squeeze it and hope that the hand would miraculously squeeze back, but he didn't want to risk waking Isa up.

No good. Isa blinked, and the activity level on the monitor shifted. Lea groaned in dismay.

After a pause, Isa exhaled deeply and said, "Still here, huh."

"Yeah," Lea said sadly.

"I keep having...these dreams lately..."

"That you're free, in the real world," Lea said, his voice dull.

"That I'm...free. That...that I'm in the real world...with you."

"If I knew how to wake you up for real, Isa, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Isa sighed. "You're nothing but stained glass...you look like Lea, but you're not really him. I- Sometimes I...wish...that just once, I could feel like I'm talking to a real person instead of myself. Anyone who's not _him_."

"I can hear you, Isa," Lea said softly. "Just talk. I'm listening."

Tears began to slip down Isa's face. "I don't know how much longer I can last," he whispered.

"It's over, Isa. It's over. You can rest."

"I can't even...hear him anymore...I think it's been months since I've heard from him."

"It's been two weeks, Isa."

"I don't know what he's planning anymore."

"He's not planning anything."

"I don't know what he's doing."

"He is very busy being dead."

"For all I know...maybe he's finally killed you, Lea..."

"I'm safe, Isa."

"There's only one thing I pray anymore. I pray that my hands aren't the ones that kill you."

"Stop, Isa."

"If...if you're still alive...if you can survive, if maybe I can help you, even just a tiny bit...it'll all have been worth it, Lea."

"Nothing is worth this, Isa."

The tears were no longer passive; Isa's body had started to shudder with little sobs. "I want to die...please, Lea, if you get the chance, just kill me..."

"Shut up, Isa."

"If there's any mercy in these worlds at all, maybe I can drag him down with me."

"Shut up, Isa! He's ALREADY DEAD! Don't let him keep torturing you like this when he's _dead_!"

"Lea," Isa sobbed, "I miss you...I miss you _so much_..."

Lea was also crying as he took Isa's hand and squeezed it hard and pressed his forehead to his friend's. "I'm right here. I'm _right here_, wake up, I'm right here with you, just wake up, wake up, wake up..."

o.o.o.o.o

Isa was already awake and talking to him when Lea entered the room. "...he would have never known what hit him. But hindsight is 20/20."

"'Sup, Isa."

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I could have convinced him to be kind to your Keybearers."

"Would've made our lives _so_ much easier," Lea said as he settled down in a chair by the bed.

"I think they...helped you. They helped you find your heart again. If I'd been able to befriend them...if I hadn't been so afraid of letting him any closer to you than he had to be..."

"Let's not play the If I'd Only game. I'd probably win, anyway."

"What are you doing, Lea?"

"Talking to you."

"If you're still alive, you're probably..._not_ doing the safe and sensible thing."

"Darn right I wasn't, back when Nort was still alive and kicking."

"Of course you're not. Why keep yourself and your loved ones safe when you can be impulsively charging straight into danger instead."

"I'm not impulsive anymore," Lea huffed. "Sometimes."

"I wonder if the children are still alive in some way, the way I am."

"Of course they're alive. More than you are..."

"You never could resist stray puppies."

"Nope."

"I...I was so jealous, but...but I think it's good that you loved them more than me..."

"Isa..."

"You're better off caring more about them than about me."

"Isa, stop."

"Safer."

"Shut _up_."

"I'm glad I was able to drive you away...I don't care about being lonely, as long as you're safe."

"Then why are you crying, Isa."

"I...I'm glad... It's good that...that you don't care about me anymore..."

"Shut up, Isa... I wouldn't freaking be here if I didn't care about you."

"It's...better...this way..."

"Shut up. Just _please_ shut up, Isa..."

o.o.o.o.o

The kids were being kids and had all decided that they wanted to have a mass unbirthday party. (Well, Riku had tried to opt-out, but had been swiftly dragged back into the fiasco.) Somehow, that seemed to mean that Lea was obligated to make _nine_ unbirthday cards for the unbirthday girls and boys, and even now, he could not quite figure out how that had happened. He blamed Naminé. And Aqua.

So that was what he was working on during this particular visit, curled up in a chair with three finished cards in a pile beside him, five blank cards in a pile on his other side, and Kairi's card pinned to the clipboard in his hands and suffering from Lea's frequent erasing.

"Sometimes I think this will never end," Isa said from the bed.

"Me too," Lea agreed absently, scribbling a flower.

"I can't tell if I'm still going mad or if I've already been insane for a long time."

"Maybe you'll like Wonderland a lot more now than you did when we were kids."

"Sometimes...I think...maybe I should give up."

"Sometimes I wonder if I should give up, too, but then I remember the promise I made you." Forget this. Lea threw the pencil aside in frustration and picked up the red colored pencil to start filling in the hearts.

"But I can't...as long as I still exist and have no proof of your death...as long as there's a chance I can help you...I can't give up."

"You know what would help me very, very much, is for someone to figure out how I can pull you out of your Dive without killing you."

"But I can't go on, either."

"What's your plan, then?" Lea asked idly, frowning at the bit of color that had strayed _too_ far outside the line. After a moment of hesitation, he started ringing the heart in a sort of halo of color. It looked awful. Too late; he had to just keep going.

"If only...I could _see_...even if it's through an amber tint, even if I can only look at whatever he's looking at...I need to see. If I could just find a way through... Maybe if I beg him, he'll let me see long enough for me to watch him doing something terrible. At least I'll _know_ what's going on..."

"Xehanort~" Lea sing-songed, drawing a happy face inside one of the hearts, "iiiiiiis deeeeeeaaaaad. Dead as a doornail~"

"Lea..."

"I'm here, buddy. Coloring sunshine and rainbows on an unbirthday card for Princess Kairi, but I'm definitely here."

"Lea, help me."

"Tell me whatcha need." Lea idly swung his foot and reached for a light purple shade to do the background.

"Send me something...anything...something to pull me out..."

"We've tried everything we can think of, buddy. No dice." Lea sighed, and finally spared a glance at his friend for almost the first time since he'd entered the room. Isa was still staring at nothing, so Lea returned his attention to the card. "Nothing. Ever. Works."

He tossed Kairi's unfinished card onto the table and pulled a blank one onto the clipboard. He unfolded it so that it was just a sheet of paper again rather than a card, and instead of writing 'Happy Unbirthday, Naminé!' in bubble letters, he started drawing a child with spiky hair. "But I'm bored and frustrated, so I'll tell you a story just for kicks," Lea murmured. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy. His name was Lea, and he wanted to make sure that everyone he met would remember him."

He drew the boy's arms raised in exuberance. "He didn't care if people loved him or hated him, as long as they remembered him. Then, one day, he met another little boy named Isa." He started sketching a second boy. "Isa was uptight and fussy and kinda girly, and you'd think Lea would've hated him. Lea thought he did hate him for a while, but fighting with Isa all the time was so fun that one day, Lea suddenly wondered why he wasn't playing with Isa instead. If they could scare off bullies and one-up the teachers and set stuff on fire when they were _enemies_, just think of all the awesome stuff they could do if they actually worked _together_!"

He moved to the other side of the page and started drawing the boys as teenagers, huddled together over a map. "So Lea and Isa became best friends. Sure they still argued all the time, but it was even more fun than before, and you wouldn't believe the sorts of stuff they were able to accomplish together. They even sneaked into the castle! _Three times_!" The sketches grew more and more simplified as Lea got tired of drawing, and the big palace guard with two boys dangling from his fists were all little more than stick figures.

"They probably shouldn't have done that, though. Because the fourth time they sneaked in, they never came back out again. As human, anyway." He drew stick figures of two young Nobodies. "They weren't dead, though. Nope. They just got new names and powers and stuff, that's all.

"That idiot kid, Lea? His name changed to Axel, which is a very cool name. That's why he doesn't mind too much that some people _still_ call him that even though he's Lea again." Lea chuckled. "He had the fantastically awesome power of fire. On the other hand, that nerd Isa got a dumb name change, and the lame power of the moon." Lea paused. "Except that when you'd go into berserker rages and beat me up when I didn't do what the scumbag in your head wanted, that was very definitely not cool."

Lea sighed and rested his head against the back of the chair, his fingers growing slack on the pencil and clipboard. "So Isa got possessed by a guy who's too horrible to be human...and I lost my best friend...and I've still lost you, Isa, even though Xehanort is freaking gone, I _still lost you_...and I really, really miss you..."

After a long time, Isa's voice came softly. "...Is this a dream?"

Lea squeezed his eyes shut. Then he wiped the tears away, picked up Kairi's card, and resumed coloring it. "Sure."

"...Lea?"

"What." He shouldn't have drawn so many flowers, they were a pain to color.

"You look...different..."

"It's a dream, isn't it? I can look however I want. Or however you want. Whatever."

"...True."

Lea worked in silence for a while. He finished Kairi's card, flopped it onto the table with a huge sigh, stared at the pile of unfinished cards for a long time, then sloooowly dragged the next one close to him. He was too tired to do Roxas's or Xion's; he wanted theirs to be special. This card could be Van's.

Isa finally said, "It's good to be able to see something better than darkness and stained glass."

"I bet."

"Even if it's just a dream."

"Sure."

"...Lea?"

"'Sup."

"...What should I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I should think the answer to that was quite obvious, even to my subconscious self. I want to be free."

"Uh huh." He kind of wanted to draw hearts and flowers just to tick off Van, but Aqua would probably just make him redo the whole card if he tried that.

"...I hope you're not dead, Lea."

"I'm peachy, Isa."

"I wish I could truly believe that. Then maybe I could let myself fade away."

"Please don't start talking like that again," Lea said dully, drawing a puppy that looked rather like a small deer.

"...It's so hard, Lea."

"You think this is easy for _me_?" Lea snapped. The pencil tip broke as he pressed down on it too hard. He made a frustrated sound and reached for the pencil sharpener. "Coming here every other day for a month, seeing my best friend like this, knowing there's _nothing I can do_, I can't even avenge you...!"

Lea suddenly threw the clipboard across the room. "Sometimes I wish Xehanort was still alive just so I could TORTURE HIM TO DEATH a few times, and make up for even a _fraction_ of what he's put us through...!" Lea lay in the chair for a while, scowling up at the ceiling through his tears. After a long time, he sighed heavily, dragged himself upright, and started collecting his things. "Forget this. I'm going home. See you later, Isa."

"L-Lea...!"

Lea stalked over to the bed without really looking, roughly pulled Isa close in a one-armed hug, then headed for the door.

"Lea! Wait, please wait...!"

Lea paused on the threshold, frowning, and turned back. "What?"

"Don't leave me," Isa pleaded.

Lea stared at him. Isa stared back. Lea's bag slipped down his shoulder and plopped to the floor.

Slowly, shaking, Lea stepped back toward the bed. Isa was reaching for him. Lea softly grasped his outstretched hand. "I...Isa?"

"At least stay with me until I have to wake up," Isa begged.

Lea suddenly wondered if he was the one dreaming. He pinched himself. It hurt.

"Lea?"

"Isa. I- _Isa_!" Lea threw his arms around him, bursting into tears as he felt Isa's arms hesitantly return the embrace. "Isa...Isa, you came back...!"

"Please don't be a dream," Isa whimpered brokenly into Lea's shoulder. "Please...don't...be a dream..."

"Isa, you-! Is it really you?! You can see me?! You can hear me?!"

"Lea...Lea..."

"Isaaaaaaa! Aaaaaahhhh! Forget unbirthdays, man; we're having a REAL party on Saturday!"

"Unbirthdays...?"

o.o.o

Author's Notes: In case it wasn't clear, Isa was talking to the picture of Lea on his Dive pillar. ^^; He thought he was really talking to himself; he had no idea that the real Lea could see and hear him.

This kiriban took _way_ too long for me to do, I'm so sorry Caxceber...! (Also really sorry that I wasn't able to write your original request. D: Kingdom Hearts is so hard for me to write new stuff for nowadays...) Probably would have taken even longer if you hadn't re-asked for it for Christmas. XD

Today I worked at the job that _usually_ gives me a lot of time to write. It was a weird situation and I ended up with much less time to write than usual, but I was still able to hand-write the first half of this fic, and finished the rest on the computer when I got home. Coming up with an idea for a new Kingdom Hearts story was really hard, but once I finally got a plunny that stayed alive and I figured out how to start the story, I was kind of shocked at how easily it flowed all the way through. XD

By the way, this is super-random, but if I were to write a modern AU "handsome sweet rich boy + Cinderella girl" sort of story, do you guys have any suggestions for activities they could do together to develop their relationship? Both friendshippey and romantic stuff could work. (I have the whole story outlined, but the part that needs a bit of fleshing out is the "Their relationship develops" part in the middle. ^^; Cute little things or dates or whatever like you'd see in a chick flick, or that you wish would be in more chick flicks. XD)

Complete: 68/101


	70. Battle Stance: Winner's Proof (theme 25)

_**Battle Stance**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanfic series by Raberba girl for ****RoseOfADifferentColor****'s ****Armory Challenge**

**Winner's Proof (theme 25) [rough draft]**

_DeviantArt __8,787 AkuSai kiriban__ for __Lexalice_

Summary: Isa wins both competitions. It's what happens afterward that's the problem.

o.o.o

It was a little like an adventure.

Isa and his mother stopped by early in the morning to pick up Lea, and they all dutifully went to the university for Isa's "Geek Contest," as Lea put it.

Honestly, Lea spent most of the time playing video games or dozing in his seat, jerking awake every time Mrs. Tsukino cheered. She did that whenever Isa's team scored a point, so Lea would whoop and cheer as loud as he could, then go back to sleep without bothering to figure out what Isa's team had done to score.

The final time he woke up, Isa's mother was on her feet and the entire audience wouldn't stop cheering, so Lea looked at the stage. Isa's team were going crazy yelling and hugging each other (not Isa, of course, but he was being enthusiastically glomped by several of the others), and the other team was all mopey, so Lea realized that his best friend's team had won. "GO ISAAAA!" Lea bellowed. "YOU'RE THE BEST! AWESOME! GOOD JOB, DUDE! ISA ROCKS! WHOO!"

When they finally made their way through the crowd down to where the contestants were milling around with their families, Mrs. Tsukino squealed and hugged Isa and told him how happy and proud she was of him. Isa, cool and calm as always, barely said anything in response, but Lea knew he was happy because of the smug little smile on his face and the way he held his head high.

Lea poked the gold medal hanging around Isa's neck. "I knew you'd win."

"Of course I was going to win."

"Think your dad will be happy?" Lea said knowingly.

Isa raised an eyebrow (Lea envied him the ability to do this at age twelve) and said, "He won't be angry, at any rate."

"Your father will be _delighted_," Mrs. Tsukino insisted, hugging him again. "All of us are _so proud_ of you, Saa-chan."

"Mother, please...at least not in public..." Isa said in a pained voice.

"Come on, Saa-chan," Lea said, sticking his tongue out teasingly when Isa glared at him, "let's make tracks! We gotta get to your Tiny Bit Less Geeky Contest now."

"Oh, yes!" Mrs. Tsukino gasped. "Hurry, boys. I don't think we'll even have time for lunch, but I have some snacks in my purse. We can eat them on the way, and I promise we'll have a wonderful dinner afterward to celebrate!"

"With ice cream~" Lea declared, pumping his fist.

"I have to win the competition before we can celebrate," Isa said, and made a face when his mother hugged him yet again and kissed him.

"We're celebrating even if you place dead last," she said warmly. "Come along, love."

This was where the adventure part came in, because they technically weren't even supposed to be at the music competition, and Isa's father didn't know about it. It gave an exciting feel even to little things like Isa's number assignment being pinned to his shirt, and Lea and Mrs. Tsukino finding seats in the auditorium.

Lea video gamed his way through a lot of the competition again, but he kept getting distracted this time because some of the performances actually caught his interest. He was both shocked and delighted when one group of students played music from one of his favorite games.

Isa, competing as a solo vocalist, was recognizably the best of his age group. He even gave all the older contestants a run for their munny (in Mrs. Tsukino's opinion), or at least all the older contestants except the group who'd played the main theme of _Professor Layton and the Curious Village_ (in Lea's opinion).

In the end, Isa came away with not just a second gold medal, but a brochure from the very interested choirmaster at the Academy. The head judge even declared, as he was awarding the prize, that Isa would have won first place overall if it hadn't been against the rules for a contestant to place outside their age group. Lea and Mrs. Tsukino cheered wildly, not noticing the jealousy-fueled expressions on the faces of many of the other parents and contestants, and they had a great time with Isa when they went out to eat afterward.

The next day at school, Isa was preoccupied and alone when he suddenly found a large, meaty hand gripping his shirt and shoving him against the wall. Startled, he registered the fact that a giant high schooler had cornered him, and that there was no one nearby to help. Hovering behind the guy was one of Isa's opponents from the previous morning's competition, who was glaring at Isa darkly.

"You the punk who cheated my brother out of a medal?" the thug demanded.

"No," Isa said coolly, partially because he hadn't cheated, and partially because he wasn't an idiot.

"It _is_ him," the smaller boy snapped. "Make him give me my medal, Niisan. He got my medal _and_ Irina's, it isn't _fair_!"

_'How pathetic,'_ Isa thought in disgust.

"Fork them over," the older brother growled.

"...I don't bring my medals to school with me." _'Idiots.'_

The older boy blinked, then looked at his younger brother. The boy snarled at Isa, "You bring them tomorrow, they're _ours_. If you don't bring them, my big brother will beat you to a pulp, you hear me?"

"I hear you."

"Give him a little taste of what'll happen if he doesn't do what we say, Niisan."

Isa weathered the blow without a sound and then watched, forcing his expression to stay impassive, as the younger boy dumped out all the contents of Isa's schoolbag and kicked them around.

"You don't deserve to have those medals," the boy said in a high voice. "You're a freak, and you _cheated_ so they're not yours anyway, I should have won the Academic Decathlon and my brother's girlfriend should have won Young Melodies, not you!"

"I'm sorry that you're upset." _'Because it's really annoying to have to deal with.'_

"Just- Just bring the medals tomorrow! Loser!"

When they were gone, Isa slowly climbed to his feet and started dragging his things together. He found himself shaking, partly from adrenaline and partly from outrage and partly from knowing that he was now late to class and his father would be angry when he found out about his son missing class.

When Isa had all his things together, he trudged to the nearest bathroom to try to straighten himself up, then finally made it to class but could barely concentrate on the lecture.

At lunch, Lea broke off in mid-greeting and yelled, "Whoa! What happened to _you_?!"

"I fell," Isa mumbled.

"You _fell_? That doesn't look like you _fell_, it looks like you got _hit_."

"I'm going to hit _you_ if we keep talking about this."

"Hah, I'd like to see you try."

Isa was almost upset enough to attempt it, but he managed to hold onto his temper, and was eventually successful in distracting Lea onto a safer topic of conversation.

The next morning, Isa got up earlier than usual, readied himself for school, then picked up the Decathlon medal and gazed at it for a long time. _'It's just a piece of metal on a ribbon. There's nothing inherent about this object that makes it valuable. I _know_ that I won that competition fairly, and the knowledge of that is enough reason for pride. I don't need this. It's worthless. And Father's probably not going to notice it's gone, so I won't even get in trouble for 'losing' it.'_ Still, his throat felt tight as he slipped the medal into his pocket.

Then he went to Lea's house early, greeted the surprised Mrs. Hayes, and went into his still-sleeping best friend's room. "Your room is disgusting, Lea. Do you _ever_ clean?" Isa started rummaging through various piles.

"Mmmmmnnnnnffgggghhh...Izzz...Isaaa...?"

"Where's my medal?"

"Whaa?" Lea said sleepily.

"My _medal_, stupid. The one you were supposed to hold onto for _safekeeping_. Doesn't look like you can keep _anything_ safe in here."

"Medal...lllll..." Lea yawned hugely.

When he had finally gotten out of bed, Lea dug a box out from the depths of his closet, picked the cheap lock on it because he couldn't find the key, then proudly removed the prize Isa had won at the music competition. "Ta daa!"

"Thank you." Isa took the medal and stuck it in his pocket along with the other one.

"You want it back?"

"It's my medal, I can do whatever I want with it." Isa didn't like how harsh his voice sounded, since it was not Lea he wanted to vent his resentment on.

"_Yeah_, duh. I just thought the whole point was that you didn't want to get in trouble if your dad found out you did the singing contest."

"My father is not going to find out. Get ready for school, we have to leave in fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, so I could have slept for _ten more minutes_! What is wrong with you?"

Isa rolled his eyes. "I'll be in the kitchen. If you're late, I'm leaving without you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

At school, Isa stayed alert and tried to always be near large groups of people. Yet inevitably, he once more found himself cornered alone and pinned to the wall by somebody much stronger than him. His face remained expressionless, but his heart sank.

"You brought the medals?" the high school thug demanded.

"You better have them," his little brother said. "You'd _better_!"

"...They're in my pockets," Isa muttered. He kept his head held high as his medals were stolen from him, and nothing in his expression betrayed the venomous thoughts he was thinking as he watched the two brothers gleefully congratulate each other and stroll away with their loot. _'I hate you. Someday, I am going to make you pay.'_ Isa made his way to class, was not late, and took excellent notes, yet once more was unable to remember much from the lecture.

He met Lea for lunch as usual, and managed to banter enough to seem normal for a while. Then he blinked and abruptly realized that Lea was staring from him, and that he had been spacing out, because he couldn't remember what Lea had been talking about. "Sorry. What was the last thing you said?" He made himself take another bite of his meal.

"...Isa, what's wrong?"

"Nothing except your brain."

"You've been... Seriously, are you okay?"

"_Yes_, Lea, I'm just tired. What were you saying again, about the 'hottie' in your science class?"

Lea studied him for a while without speaking.

"Stop staring at me like that, you're giving the creeps."

"...What'd you need your medal for this morning?"

"Maybe I grew some balls and don't care anymore if my father finds out about the music competition," Isa mumbled.

"Do you still have it?"

"What?" Isa asked, playing dumb even as dread started to tighten his chest. Lea was the only one besides his mother who could see through him whenever he tried to put on an act.

"Your _medal_, dummy. I wanna look at it."

"You don't have to look at it. I won first place."

"I just wanna _see_ it!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to show it to you! I'm allowed to keep my own belongings private, Lea!"

"Why _wouldn't_ you show it to me?!"

"It's none of your business!"

A teacher on lunch duty paused by their table and said in a warning tone, "Boys, keep your voices down."

"I will when he shows me his medal."

"Just leave me alone!" Isa shouted. "You're so _irritating_!" He got up and tried to storm away, but the effect of his dramatic exit was rather hampered by the fact that it took longer than he expected to pack his barely-touched meal back into his lunch bag. He realized belatedly that he should have just left it behind.

Lea kept pestering him the entire time. "What's the matter with you? It's just a _medal_, Isa. I'm not gonna _hurt_ it, I just want to _look_ at it! Come on, Isa! Why the heck are you mad at me? Just tell me what-"

"Are you so stupid that you don't know what 'Leave me alone' means? It means get out of my way, I don't want to talk to you or look at you or listen to you, you _annoying_ little person!" Lunch safely stowed, Isa was finally able to storm away properly.

Lea followed right on his heels, leaving his own half-finished lunch behind without a second glance. "I bet you don't even have the medal anymore. What happened? Did your dad find out and make you throw it away? Did-?"

They were behind the gym now, and Isa whirled around to yell at him, "Leave me ALONE, Lea!"

Lea hit him. Isa hit back. They fought, and Lea would have won - except that as he knelt there gripping the front of Isa's sweater with his other fist raised to punch Isa in the face, while Isa cringed away in anticipation of the blow, Lea suddenly remembered how much trouble Isa would be in at home if he was caught fighting at school. Lea lowered his fist. "...If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'll give you a black eye, right where your dad can see."

Defeated, Isa very grudgingly let Lea pry the truth out of him.

"They TOOK them?!"

"It doesn't matter, Lea," Isa muttered.

"They took your _medals_?!"

"They're just pieces of metal. I don't care. We both know I won fairly."

"Those PUNKS!" Lea sprang to his feet and marched away.

"Lea?!" Just then, the bell rang, and Isa was torn between going after his friend and making it to class so he wouldn't get in trouble. With a little cry of frustration, he rushed to his classroom, swearing to take a 'restroom break' as soon as possible.

Students were not allowed to leave their rooms during the first and last ten minutes of class. Even after ten minutes, the teacher was in the middle of an explanation, and Isa had to wait until she'd finished giving instructions for the assignment. By the time he finally had the chance to get out and look for Lea, Lea was getting his butt kicked, especially since he kept jumping up to keep swinging at his older and much bigger opponent rather than recognizing the undeniable fact that he was outmatched.

"Lea!" Isa rushed forward and seized his friend's arm.

"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO 'TIL YOU GIVE ISA BACK HIS MEDALS!" Lea shouted, and swung at the older boy again. He was knocked to the ground in response.

"Try again, toothpick," the boy taunted. Then he looked at Isa and said contemptuously, "You're so lame." He raised his hand to hit Isa.

Isa burst into tears. "I know, I am," he sobbed, even as he gripped Lea's arms to keep the furious boy from retaliating. "Don't hit me, I'll leave you alone...!"

The older boy laughed and grabbed Isa's head to shove him away. Isa managed to regain his footing without falling over while still keeping hold of Lea.

"LET GO OF ME, ISA! STOP CRYING, YOU'RE NOT LAME!"

_'Shut up, idiot.'_ "Let's just go, Lea," Isa said with a pathetic sniffle. It was hard work trying to force Lea away from the confrontation. "They can have the medals, it's okay, they deserved to win more than me, anyway."

"ISA WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_?!"

As soon as Isa had managed to drag Lea far enough away, he stopped making sobbing noises and straightened the shoulders he'd been hunching and shoved Lea against the wall. Lea stared at him. "Are you _stupid_?" Isa hissed.

"Is-"

"That is _not_ a fight you can win, Lea! What were you planning to do, keep swinging at him until he knocked you unconscious?!"

"You...?" Looking completely confused, Lea reached for the tear still glimmering on Isa's face.

Isa impatiently wiped it away. "You _give them what they want_ so they'll _stop hurting you_. You figure out how to retaliate on _your own level_, not theirs."

"Were you- Were you _faking_ it?!"

"I told you, I don't care about the medals," Isa said sulkily. _'Not as much as I care about you, anyway.'_ "Did it _ever_ occur to you to try to get the older brother kicked off his team or break up with his girlfriend rather than just failing to punch him? Or to get to the younger brother through his teachers or even the Decathlon's judging panel?"

"Can we...even do that?"

Isa grinned. "Honestly, Lea, sometimes it seems like you have no faith in me."

Lea grinned back. "You do all the planning. I'll take care of the dirty work."

"Of course. Why else would I still keep you around?"

"Why else would I keep _you_ around." Lea shoved him playfully.

Isa laughed and went along with the horseplay for a bit, then took hold of Lea's arm and steered him away. "Come on, let's clean you up, then we both need to get back to class."

"Aw, come on, who needs class? I like hanging out with you better, anyway..."

o.o.o

Author's Notes: Apparently the age range for when a boy's voice breaks is about 10-15 years old, so I think the timing is all right for Isa's puberty not affecting his performance in this fic.

I am not a gamer at all, so it was difficult trying to find a video game theme that would suit this story. X'D I finally decided on _Professor Layton and the Curious Village_, but I've never played it and only listened to the theme once. ^^;

I originally had a reason for Isa winning two competitions, but then as I was drafting, I realized it hadn't been necessary. Oh well. *sweatdrop*

Complete: 6/100


End file.
